Heresy Through the Wormhole
by he who fell from grace
Summary: 6 years have passed since the finale of the Replicon War. The Imperium stands supreme across 3 Galaxies. Beyond the stars the Ori Ascendancy begins to move and something stirs in the depths of the Warp. Humanities' darkest war has begun. Book 3 of 3.
1. Prologue: A Memory of Origin

**Well here we are again. Time for me to put my author hat on and get to work. The main story will still start in October 2010 I just thought that I'd drop the prologue in early as a teaser. Reviews will be answered in the first chapter. **

Disclaimer: I don't own anything in this series other than the stuff I dreamed up myself. 

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"_Fear not the future, weep not for the past_." **William Shakespeare** – _The Winter's Tale_ (Autolycus act IV, scene iv).

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The old man let out a satisfied sigh. His breath trailed from his mouth like smoke as it was carried away by the freezing winds. His simple brown robes flapped and fluttered in the breeze pulling taunt to reveal his withered and slightly crooked body. The dune he was standing on shifted and sagged as the second member of his party pulled himself up the sands.

"Are we close?" The high voice of a prepubescent child whined into the growing dusk.

"Soon, soon." The old man placated. His eyes wrinkled as he remembered his own journey across the sands so long ago.

The air was thin up here, near the top of the world, and the tang of ozone and oxides was heavy in the dust laden air. Far below them the beginnings of a storm began to gather. The old man subconsciously allowed his weight to shift to the thick staff in his hands, it had been there for such a long time he had nearly forgotten it existed, as he awaited the boy's breathing to level out.

"A thousand moments." The old man clicked his tongue with mock displeasure.

If it were possible the boy's face would have coloured more at the displeased tone in the elder's voice but instead he straightened up, sucked down one last deep breath and continued onward.

The old man merely chuckled.

Upwards they climbed as the yellow orb of the sun sank lower and lower towards the distant horizon. For what seemed an eternity to the boy they pulled themselves up the side of the dunes and scrambled across cliff faces until quite suddenly his mentor stopped.

In the fading light the boy couldn't see anything special about the patch of rock they were standing in front of. Even if it had been the middle of the day he would have had to strain his eyes to make out the marking that had been lovingly carved into the rock. Time and the constant storms had worn them down long ago. With a motion he had been practicing from his own memories of this moment the old man reached out a placed the simple gold trinket he wore around his neck in a seemingly random indent.

For a moment nothing happened and, to his shame, the boy questioned the sanity of his mentor. Then the mountain groaned.

"Ah!" The boy leapt backwards with a shout, startled by the sudden noise.

When he saw it was a simple door he felt ashamed. Ashamed of his doubts and his failure to keep his composure. Once again the old man simply chuckled.

"In." He whispered, gently guiding the boy into the eternal darkness within.

With a groan of ancient metal the slab of stone slid shut once again trapping the two robed figures in total darkness. A faint light flickered into being above their heads. The single ball of gentle golden light filed the small cavern, casting deep shadows across every surface. With a tired hiss the old man settled down into one of the stone chairs. He back and rear slid into groves carved into the stones by the many that had come before him. The boy quietly slid into his smaller, lower, chair. And so they waited.

For a long time they sat in the dim golden light, for a long time the old man stared into the deepest shadow at the far end of the cave. The boy's eyes drifted with his mind, he strove to examine everything. The icons on the walls similar to the ones they had, the white lines that criss-crossed the walls all leading to that one spot at the end of the cave but not shedding any light upon it and the small humming that had started to prevail over the howling of the winds.

"My Lord." The old man whispered and bowed his head.

The boy followed the gaze and saw a faint red dot staring back at him. He screwed his eyes shut and bowed deeper than he needed to.

The faint hiss of static filled the air and the groaning of ageless metal filled the quiet cave. "Guardian." The voice boomed with such power and ferocity that the boy instinctively feared for his life. "Is it time already?" The voice was softer now. Sadder, older and so very tired.

"Yes my Lord. It has been a long, long time since I sat before you last." The old man answered with a faint melancholy.

"Then your time approaches." The voice of the red dot stated.

The boy gasped and looked to the lightly smiling old man. His mentor simply ruffled his hair in return.

"I will last long enough." His answer required no elaboration.

"Boy!" The monstrous voice bellowed shaking lose dust with its power. "What is the purpose of this Order?"

His mouth moved but no sound came. A reassuring hand was placed on his shoulders and he felt the fear retreat from his mind. "We are to preserve history. We are to make sure that even if everything turns to dust that we never forget how we got here."

"Good. Now I will share with you the last and possibly most important piece of knowledge. The Last Great Heresy." The voice spoke quietly and calmly.

"But everyone knows about that!" The boy blurted out. It was true, the story was a great one that had been retold with a passion for generations.

And like all stories it had been twisted with the passage of time. "No!" Screamed the voice, whatever device created the sounds screeching and crackling for a moment. "You have been told a fantasy. A story of faultless heroes and malignant villains. You have been told a lie. I will tell you the true story. Of those who lived and fought, loved and died."

"I'm sorry." The boy muttered hanging his head.

"It matters not. You are young like we all were. Once." A hissing sigh escaped the darkness accompanied by a small wistful smile form the old man.

"My Lord please begin." The old man looking straight at the red dot.

"Yes, yes." The voice whispered. "It began, as always, with the desire for power. The need to control. The hunger for conquest. The edicts of pride. It was a time of fire and blood. A time of destruction. The time we took what was ours. It was a time of rebirth." The voice took on a faraway tone. "It was an infinite war. Where gods would stride across the stars. And demons danced on the backs of men. We were like warring giants in a sandbox. The Universe was our arena to do with as we pleased. However it was not the warring gods or ravenous demons it was the people, those tiny lives that huddled together in the interval between heaven and earth. Them; who vanish like so many sparks in the night. They changed the Universe. And they were magnificent. They would weep, they would pray, they would say goodbye to their loved ones and then throw themselves without fear or hesitation at the very face of Damnation itself. Never running out of courage. Until the very end. It was the dawn of a new age. It was the Last Great Heresy. And I, I was there..."


	2. An Illusion of Halcyon

"Normal speech."

"**Gothic around non-Imperials**."

"Mental Links."

"_Ship Names_."

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Darth nylon544: I want that to remain a surprise but during the Ori war while things will be grim and dark but I hope to keep away from grimdark as much as possible. Once this is complete I have no intentions of making any other stories. Unless I get a really good idea.

A Buffy cross? That would just be weird. Funny but weird.

Sdarian: It was meant to be confusing. But it was mainly a conglomerate of everything bad that the Ori will face.

Senrab Nomis: Thanks.

Huitt1998: Thank you.

Gforce member45: Cheers.

AngelForm: Thanks. While everyone keeps asking for more Space Marine Chapters I've just got to say we'll see. But it's unlikely the Sons of Sol aren't going to let people mess around with their Geneseed and getting them to the SG universe would be a one in a trillion shot. For cameos? I'll see what I can shoehorn in.

Yes galaxy number 3 is Ida; or what's left of it.

Skipper1337: Yeah. It's going to be bad and bloody. And there is no guarantee who wins. Should be fun.

Pinto: Thanks for the praise. Hope it lives up to your expectations.

Paukinra: Thanks. I hope you enjoy it.

Partysane: Thanks! I'm pleased that my writing style has improved with the march of time. I am hoping to keep to a monthly update schedule with ~ 10 000 words a chapter.

The Hidden Sith: Thanks but I've a much more insidious plan than a straight up brawl at the Supergate.

Lord Of The Blood Moon: Thank you. The word hectic doesn't even come close to describing the cluster-f**k that I intend to make of the fighting. Chaotic is more appropriate.

Alpha Omega Protocol: Well; the Asgard were once the Norse gods. So I assumed that they could throw one hell of a party when the situation called. Thanks. Quotes I get from an old, now shut down, site that had listings of all the ones compiled from the codexs and rulebooks and other fluff. Other than that I just nick stuff I hear and make it suitably grimdark.

Most of the ZPMs were rather weak having shielded the city from orbital bombardment and a sea of molten glass. However they were employed in powering Atlantis. The Zerfàrim did note that the City Ship was at full power.

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**We're back! Sorry for the delay a little computer trouble for me and my Beta. Anyway, here we go. Little admin first though. I don't intend to offend anyone with this it's just the way I see things going down. If you don't like it tell me and I can argue my points fairly. Taking a rant then storming off means I win anyway. Secondly I'm very happy that all my readers have chosen a side but I just want to sow a little discord. There is no guarantee who wins! Thirdly:**

**Disclaimer: Stargate, Stargate: SG-1, Stargate: Atlantis, Stargate: Universe and Warhammer 40 000 are not my property and belong to their respective owners. I own nothing more than a most of the twisted little things that pop out of my head and make it down to paper. **

**Fourthly: WARNING! Don't read if you are faint of heart. **

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"_Advance, and never falter, for advancing is perfection. Advance and do not fear the thorns in the path, for they draw only corrupt blood."_ **Kahlil Gibran**

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**Heresy Through the Wormhole Part 1: This Impure World – An Illusion of Halcyon**

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**Imperial Year 7 – 118 / Asgard Remnant Generation III / 9****th**** May 2011 Anno Domini, Terran Standard.**

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The small glass in his hands was cold to the touch. Droplets of condensation already beginning to form across it. The ice cubes within clinked against the crystal as he slowly and purposefully strode through the open plan house.

"Good morning My Dear." He called out to the empty air. The silk of his shirt made a gently hissing noise as it passed through an Auspex field.

A table in the far corner flickered with light before the Hololith stabilised into the crisp clean image of interstellar debris being sucked into a black-hole. He found the image of stellar destruction oddly melancholy. "Good morning my Lord." The silky smooth voice of his personal Machine Spirit answered.

He smiled despite himself. No matter what, someone would always call him that. "How are we today My Dear?" He asked slipping into his comfortably padded chair. In front of him the last vestiges of an A-class star slipped into the event horizon in a burst of gamma rays the Hololith projected as a deep, almost invisible, purple.

"My Lord knows that I remain unchanged." The Machine Spirit answered in its deceptively Human voice.

Those Asgard certainly knew their way around A.I. "How is my project progressing?" He asked, sipping on the amber liquid in his hand.

"My Lord, I have completed translating your current works into holo format. I believe you were intending to begin on the time between the Replicon War and the Imperium of today." The Machine Spirit answered.

"Indeed I was. But first, play me the introduction." He demanded, settling into a more comfortable angel.

"My Lord does indulge his ego so." The computer mock-moaned. The man shivered in his seat, sometimes the A.I. was a little too real.

"Yes, I suppose; but My Dear when you have lived as long and done as much as I, you too will like to indulge a little." He responded, playing along with the Spirit's game.

"As you say My Lord. Beginning introduction." The Spirit intoned as the holo-tank flickered momentarily as it replaced the image of the ever devouring gravity well with a representation of his own face. The figure gazed out of the Hololith with all the charm and imperious charisma that he possessed.

"Greeting. If you are watching this then you have chosen my own, humble, observations of the rise of the Imperium over those of the self-serving sycophants that plague the histories of all cultures. It is my intent to produce a complete and unbiased history of Humanity and outline the decisions; good and bad, foolish and wise, that allowed the unstoppable power house of the Imperium to be born. To compile this staggering tome I have painstakingly combed through the databases and legends of nearly all races, living and dead, as well as interviewed members of the Alliance of Five Great Races. I will begin this tale where it truly belongs with the first evolution of the Human race: a people known as the Alterans..." His face froze in place and the holo-tank flickered slightly. He allowed a small smirk; it was an impressive piece of work.

"Begin new chapter." He ordered and the screen flashed to a blank white slate. "Where were we precisely?" He asked the Spirit.

"My Lord has finished the final battle of the Replicon War and the extermination of the Wraith/Tyranid fleet. May I suggest that My Lord begin his new works with the actions in and around Holy Terra?" The Spirit answered gently.

"Good." He cleared his throat even though he knew it was unnecessary. "Title: The Unification of Terra." He paused to watch the words scroll across the blank screen. "After the conclusion of the Replicon War the Sol system found itself in possession of Naquadah for the first time since Ra had stripped away the last few vestiges the Ancients hadn't. The stockpile on Mars, accumulating to the entire mineral wealth of at least four sectors, allowed for the previously stunted Terran industry to explode." He paused to sip at his drink, enjoying the way it burned down his throat.

"Even before the first few ships had returned from the Pegasus Conquest, massive orbital docks had been built around Terra along with Luna 1 and 2; an important Hab whose population has doubled every year since its founding and a major research centre. Wealth streamed into the coffers of the IOA. It wasn't until the advent of Imperial Year 2 that the wheels began to turn. The Tau'ri..." He paused to consider the word.

"Delete last sentence." A moment passed before the two words vanished from the white hololithic display. "The Terrans have always been obsessed with power. Personally I believe it a trait bred into them by the Lanteans in an attempt to give their children a better chance to survive in a hostile universe. Nevertheless the fact remains that what would become the Unification of Terra and one of the bloodiest periods in her history began with a slogan." Once again he sipped at his drink allowing the alcohol to take his mind back to those days.

"A simple slogan that got a political party on a small, wet and unassuming little island elected. They promised to once again 'Make Britain Great'. As I have already covered in a previous chapter the British Empire once covered a quarter of Terra; and in an age when steam was the pinnacle of technological achievement that, in itself, is a terrifying feat. However rather than being forgotten the new Prime Minister, a member of the Conservative party by the name of John Stuart, pushed with all his might for the restoration of the British Empire. Now as any sensible person would be wondering: how would this tiny island pull this off? Well if you would remember, the United Kingdom (another name for the same country, Terrans seem to have a knack for over naming things) is a part of the IOA and subsequently commanded about a sector's worth of mineral wealth along with the technological edge being in contact with the Second Imperium of Man gave them over the other 'natives'." He paused to observe this paragraph.

"Please ready the first map."

"Yes Lord" The Spirit answered immediately.

"Using their wealth and technology they employed a 'carrot and stick' methodology that quickly began raking in some of the poorer members of their Commonwealth. Coincidently their tactics only worked because the American Senate had voted to keep all non-terrestrial technologies under strict regulation. A move I believe to have been extremely short sighted. Naturally they had tried to force the other countries of the IOA to agree. They had met with little success." He paused to smirk. Sometimes these politicians could be so… Goa'uld.

"Trapped between the spectre of eventual conquest or re-joining the ever more powerful IOA member state most of the other governments began to enter into talks. Within a year the entirety of the Commonwealth except for India, Pakistan, Malaysia and Fiji had returned to the restored British Empire. Insert first map." He sat back and watched as the red began to spread across the multi-coloured patchwork that was Terra's once divided surface.

"Of course such actions didn't go unopposed. The UN, a rather ineffective organisation, protested strongly at the 'imperialist actions' of the British but were treated as little more than wailing children when an Adeptus Astarte Mandate arrived on Imperial Year 2 – 865." He paused to regard the sentence thinking on the best way to describe the Space Marines single minded determination.

"Now you might be wondering just why the Space Marines would embroil themselves in what at the time was looking to become the Third Terran World War. The answer can be found in the first sentence of their Mandate. '**The Unification of Terra is the Divine Will of the Emperor. The Great Crusade can never be completed while Humanity stands divided against the Terrors of the Galaxy**'. Simply put they considered the British Empire and anyone else pulling together the fractured Terran states to be doing them a favour. Thus the last Land Rush began." The map returned this time showing the blue of the Greater United States of America and the grey of the Russian Federation and the deep purple of the Peoples' Republic of Asia.

"Before Imperial Year 3 had broken double digits both the Americans, Chinese and Russians moved to snap up as much of their homeworld as they could. The majority of Central and South American, being both poorly run and poorly funded, were easy pickings and joined the Greater United States with little fuss. Almost the entirety of the Caribbean (minus territories already belonging to the British Empire) joined a month later when Cuba, backed by the expanded Russian Federation, started making aggressive overtures. Japan and several of the Pacific Ocean island nations joined as well. Their long association with the former United States of America, most since the conclusion of the Second Terran World War, lending itself to their inclusion. At the same time Russia used its own clout to steer a large portion of the former Warsaw Pact away from the European Union and included Mongolia into its vast bulk. While the Chinese Army poured through Indo-China. Little to nothing could stand in the way of their Human waves and Lasguns. As troops began massing at the Chinese-Indian border the enormous country turned to the British for protection against the Chinese juggernaut. It was at this time that the Terrans witnessed the true face of the empire they had helped to create." He paused to shiver at the memory. The pure brutality and efficiency with which the slaughter was carried out struck a chord in him. What he would have done for a handful of warriors like the Marines.

"On the dawn of Imperial Year 3 – 112 seventeen Dirty Naqaudah-Potassium bombs were detonated across the Russian Federation. Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg, Nizhny Novgorod, Kazan, Samara, Omsk and Chelyabinsk were all but destroyed. Twenty four and a half million people died in the explosions and radioactive fallout. The Muslim Brotherhood, the Islamic Party of Turkestan, al-Qaeda and Jamaa al-Islamiya all claimed responsibility for the attack on the morning of 115. The news of such a large attack on Holy Terra was intercepted by the Cruiser _Moonseed_ during a prospecting mission to Neptune and Triton. The Captain, the former commander of the Terran built _Prometheus_ Colonel Pendergast, relayed the information to the naval base at Aemonus. Brother-Captain Angelus arrived with all three Companies that evening. The _Emperor's Light _was escorted by two of the new Assailant class Frigates the re-commissioned _Prometheus_ and its sister ship the _Leo_. Both Frigates took position at Lagrangian point 1 while the _Emperor's Light_ settled into low orbit." With a sigh he pushed himself to his feet and gently padded back to the kitchen to refill his glass.

"Supreme Commander O'Neill... please make a note that we need more of this whiskey in the next supply drop My Dear." He muttered savoring the alcohol. The Spirit whispered its acknowledgment. "… and the SGC were quick to react but not fast enough to prevent the Astartes declaring a Crusade against the heathens that desecrated Holy Terra. Insert the beginning of the First Imperial Intervention."

Angelus looked angry. More angry than any living person had ever seen him. He was dressed in full Power Armour; polished to a shine with newly waxed Purity Seals glistening under the lights above his command throne. "**Heretics. Heed my words. We have allowed you to violate the soil of Holy Terra with you filth for too long. That you dare to desecrate this un-ravaged place**..." He paused to spit heavily to the side at the very thought of Horus."…**over the pathetic intricacies of you heathen god is an insult too far. We shall begin the systematic extermination of all heretic cults at first light on the 118. Surrender and you shall be given a quick death.**"

"It is at this point I would like to make an important note that I feel has been ignored by the majority of history. Among the Space Marines and their Serf-Crew it had become general accepted that the most religions that were monotheistic were proto-Emperor cults. While the polytheistic religions were regarded as poor fools still clinging to the lies of the Goa'uld (which in all honesty I think they are). The Chaplains had spent a long time during the Consolidation debating if this was proof of the Emperor's Divine Hand at work or if it was the machinations of another Xeno entity. Their final conclusion has been kept amongst themselves but it seems they found the warring between two of the seemingly proto-Emperor cults to be a grave matter. This is probably due to an incident I have uncovered in the histories of the First Imperium known as the Age of Apostasy. Although the Sons of Sol were a very young Chapter at the time they were involved in putting down several wars between supporters of two separate religious groups." He smiled in the way that only he could. It felt good to finally be able to speak out. He was interrupted by a reluctant murmuring coming from the Spirit.

"My Lord there are restrictions on allowing information about the First Imperium into the public domain. The Supreme Commander has cautioned you before on revealing sensitive information 'for the hell of it'." The Spirit interjected. He could almost feel the A.I. struggling as its loyalty to him and its loyalty to the Imperium came into confrontation.

"Don't worry I intend to mention nothing more." He soothed the machine. "There was a bad joke during Imperial Year 5 that Supreme Commander O'Neill interrupted Brother-Captain Angelus and the Senior-Brothers while they were discussing the most effective way of reducing the entire Middle East to molten rock. Although the anecdote is lacking in humour it is disturbingly close to what I imagine to have happened. The actual events of that discussion will only ever be known to those who were there. But we know that Supreme Commander O'Neill was successful in restraining Brother-Captain Angelus from launching an all-out attack on Terra. What followed was a campaign of terror." He paused in consideration as his Spirit began readying the cache of images and videos that accompanied his narration.

"Several known members of the groups claiming responsibility were rounded up and taken to the Groom Lake Facility. Through extensive research I have managed to ascertain their fates. The men and occasional women were put through a process known as Mind-Sifting. This was, to the three galaxies at large, an unprecedented form of information retrieval. The Librarians of the Sons of Sol Chapter would weaken the mind of their targets; an incredibly painful experience I can assure you having been a target of their powers once. Then a device from the planet Galar was used to recover the most pertinent memories from their weakened consciousness. Once that was achieved, leaving nearly thirty percent dead or comatose, they were infected with Orban nanites. These machines would map out the entirety of the prisoners' mind storing every single piece of information for later retrieval and analysis. It was this way that the First Imperial Intervention began."

"My Lord I have inloaded the pictures you have marked for this section." The Spirit chimed. "I have also prepared similar data for inload with the Second and Third Interventions. However I can find little amongst your research for the Jovian Mutiny or the establishment of the Terran Federation."

"That's because there is little to those events. While they are very important little visual or audio information exists." He explained, having spent a long time trying to find anything.

"I apologise my Lord."

"Never mind. This pattern of assault, capture and mind-rape continued for six standard months. I believe source of Angelus's desire to remove all form of militant organisations can be summed up in a small quote I overheard once: '**They are like any** **Cult, if you do not excise all the rot now it will only return stronger**'. It mattered little what his motivations were. The Adeptus Astartes slaughtered their way through to their targets regardless of any resistance they met. The simple projectile weapons were no match for Power Armour and Bolters. The most disturbing thing about their attacks was the precision. They could strike at any foe and leave behind only their targets and those foolish enough to oppose them as corpses. With their ability to hide amongst the general population, the main weapon of any guerrilla fighter, compromised the myriad of militant organisations that plagued Terra were exterminated one after another. Insert images 04-32 and load the Attenborough video; I always find his expression amusing." He commanded. A series of burning buildings and the exploded remnants of unarmoured Humans being hit with Bolter rounds flashed across the Hololith.

Sir David Attenborough was sitting in an open topped Land Rover as it gently bounced down the street. "Here we are in Kabul the capital of Afghanistan. It is from this bustling hive of activity that we intend to set out into the Registan Desert. From here we can just make out…" An explosion detonated behind him and everyone but the cameraman dropped to the ground.

A man was screaming in excitement gesturing at a pillar of smoke with a spent RPG-7. Several others all armed with AK-47s were rushing into cover leaving their compatriot to stand like an idiot in the middle of the street. A sharp burst of light, like a lightning bolt, erupted amongst the hiding men and two Terminators uncurled Lightening Claws already extended. In blurs of black and red they slaughtered their targets in short order. The man with the RPG-7 stood stunned as the twin behemoths vanished in a gentle white light. From the clearing smoke three Tactical Marines emerged, one was sporting a blackening to his golden trim from where the RPG had struck him. The leading one levelled his Bolter at his still stationary target and blew him in half. Then they too vanished in pillars of light.

The camera panned round to once again face Attenborough. The old man's face was ashen and he seemed to be staring at the ragged remains on the street. "What the hell was that?"

He chuckled as the image froze before continuing his narration. "Any attempt to flee provided only a fleeting rest. On Imperial Year 3 – 618 the last insurgents were hunted down and slaughtered by Space Marine Tactical Squads. However the world had not been still these last six standard months. With the Russian Federation leaderless and missing a third of its population it was in no state to resist when the European Union, headed by the French and Germans, began making overtures for an alliance. It was 561 when the Eurasian Union was founded. This mega-country covered the entirety of Europe (minus the holdings of the British Empire and Switzerland), the Russian Federation, Mongolia, Turkey and Israel. Thus there were four main powers on Terra: the Greater United States of America, the People's Republic of Asia, the British Empire and the Eurasian Union. It was at this point that the three lesser nations would come together."

"Lord you have an appointment scheduled with the Supreme Commander in three standard hours."

"Ah yes. Remind me again when I have twenty minutes left. That should be enough time for me to reach the SGC. Now at the dawn of Imperial Year 4 Terra began to take on her final shape: the Islamic Federation formed from the collection of unaligned countries that separated China from Russia. This coalition lead by the Pakistan included all of the 'Stans' as the Terran western hemisphere refers to them. The second massing of countries was the Independent Alliance of Free States or the Arabian Alliance as the rest of the world referred to them. It included the entire Middle East: from Iran to Egypt and Yemen to Azerbaijan. These countries having been supporting themselves with oil exports found themselves in the deepest depths of poverty as Imperial technology and off-world imports swept the globe. Several of the more militant members had even tried to match the military might of the Superpowers leaving them with barley functioning and out-dated X-302s and in the case of Iran the non-functioning hulk of an Assailant Frigate. Of course none of the IOA even considered allowing them to gain access to satellite based weaponry. It is at this point that we come to the final and most terrible World Power. The Infinite Kingdom of Africa." He paused to fetch himself another, smaller, drink. Before her returned to his seat he ran a finger over the black collar constraining his neck.

"The actual identity of the King as he called himself isn't and will probably never be known. All we know is that somehow a Warlord in The Sudan managed to obtain several hundred functioning Staff weapons. Now to the common Imperial Citizen these weapons are considered rather tame compared to their Imperial equivalents and woefully inaccurate. But I would remind them that these weapons were easy to use, designed to inspire fear in the masses and far more advanced that the weapons prevalent in the African Continent at the time. How they came upon these relics of the Goa'uld Empire is unknown but several fingers have been pointed at Asian Republic selling to the Arabian Alliance who then passed the weapons on to the highest bidders. The other Terran powers have been questioned about their inactivity as this horde swept across Africa growing ever more powerful as the conquered countries were subsumed. The reason, I am sure most of you have realised, was of course the revolt of the True Human Empire. However live-fire 'exercises' from the orbiting London 2 Hab were known to include Lance barrages strangely close to the borders of their African domains and the expanding Kingdom." A map appeared and moved as he narrated showing the unrelenting tide of yellow washed over the African continent.

"Imperial Year 4 dragged on with the consequences of the Lost Generation and later the campaign against the True Human Empire attracting most of the Imperium's attention. It is of course at this point that we come to the Jovian Mutiny. Now first I wish to convey the state of the Sol system. The Mecurian Solar Plant had been established by the Greater United States during the final days of Imperial Year 3 along with Luna 3: a large military base on the dark side. The British Empire had established themselves firmly on Mars, Phobos and Deimos. While the entire population (second only to Terra), concentrated in three fledgling Hives, answered to them the administration of the continent sized factories and shipyards along with the Yggdrasill Core was still held by the Adeptus Mechanicus. However the military base on Phobos and the Research and Development centre on Deimos were both fully under British control. The Eurasian Union, being late on the scene as it were, heavily colonised the Jovian moons Io, Calisto and Ganymede. All three had heavy mining operations and Habs (Ganymede's being the fourth largest in the system) while factories and a military base were established on Ganymede and Calisto respectively. Io on the other hand was used as a source of power with the moon's tidal heating providing massive geothermal energy. The Sons of Sol Chapter Shipyard in orbit around Saturn had also reached completion but was not yet operational. The Peoples' Republic had finished their construction of the Venerean Ring, with a population of nearly one hundred thousand, and its renowned heat scoops. They had also begun construction of a Hab on Europa. It was this reason that the three ships that were to become infamous across the entire Imperium were in orbit around Jupiter. The two I-303C Chollima class Cruisers, the _Unforgiven _and the _Lord Davium_, and more importantly the I-304D Mjolnir class Battlecruiser _Sunstorm_." He paused to watch a small video from the helmet camera of a void-worker at London 2 as the three ships emerged from hyperspace.

"The incident involving the Fourth Air Force, the 4th Hoffan Clone Legion and the 11th Lantea Taskforce the total loss in life numbering nearly seven hundred thousand enlisted soldiers and nearly an entire Sector Fleet of ships weakened O'Neill's popularity with the upper-classes. I will cover the effects of this schism in the later chapters. Using this to his advantage on Imperial Year 4 – 401 Chairman Xiong Wei of the Peoples' Republic of Asia launched a petition to have O'Neill removed from office on the grounds that it was unduly bias for an American General to also be Supreme Commander of the Second Imperium. He, with the backing of the Arabian Alliance and the Islamic Federation, wanted another 'neutral' person instated as Supreme Commander." He paused to laugh; long and hard. The idea that any man could replace the legend that O'Neill had become was insane. Jaffa worshiped him, Genii feared him, Ilempiri threw themselves screaming into battle for him, Hoffans had marched through Railgun fire for him, the Asgard had named Battlefleets after him, the Gadmeer call him friend, the Tok'ra call him Liberator, the Nox acknowledged him as an equal, Unas sang songs of his glory, Aschen cowered at his feet. Temples had been established exalting him as the Right Hand of the Emperor. Billions marched to war at his command and worlds burned with but a word.

Slowly he stopped laughing and once again focused his thoughts. "It is a testament to the almost fanatical devotion O'Neill commands that even the normally very strict Terran military joined in with the Mutiny. Records indicate that the there was a thirteen second all-frequencies Vox burst directed at the outer Sol system on 401 emanating from the SGC. Almost immediately the three ships at Jupiter broke orbit and jumped towards Terra. A little known element of this insubordination was: rather than the popular myth that the mutineers were totally unopposed by the Halo and Crow stations when they entered Terran orbit. There was in fact the first I-305 Sol class Dreadnought, the _Echoes of Sol_, in orbit above Mars that threatened to attack any aggressor but refused to stop the mutineer ships. With two carrier Cruisers each with a full complement of a hundred I-301s the Imperial fighters far more powerful than anything most of Terra could throw at them and the planetary suppression Battlecruiser armed with four Bombardment Cannons and a full Cohort of fanatical Jaffa; the mutineers were in a position of strength. As we all know the Captains of the three ship demanded that the motion to remove O'Neill be dismissed. This coupled with the backlash the prolonged confrontation with the True Human Empire was creating almost sent the Imperium spiralling into civil war. Although the Chairman did waver over the decision; trying to use the mutiny as proof for O'Neill's dismissal he never made much progress. The debate was ended abruptly when a Longinus class Destroyer jumped into low orbit above Beijing with a full Platoon of High Mobile Infantry from the Ilempiri Death Commandos. Xiong Wei of course withdrew his complaint almost immediately." The Death Commandos were complete nihilists. They valued nothing except the perfection of the moment. Fearless and merciless; a single Platoon of them could have easily butchered their way to Xiong Wei.

"The small and fragile peace between the Superpowers that followed was broken abruptly when an experimental missile from the Arabian Alliance – in particular Iraq – 'accidently' detonated its payload of plastic explosives and Naquadria. Analysis of the missiles trajectory shows that it was aimed towards Jerusalem. After close scrutiny of the videos from the New York Station and Tiangong (Heavenly Palace) Hab I have concluded that there was a small rupture in one of the Naquadria cells that threw the rocket off course. In my humble opinion; whoever was stupid enough to put the most unstable element in the galaxy on top of a rocket got what they deserved. Now the Arabian Alliance had fallen on hard time since the Jovian Mutiny. Having backed the Peoples' Republic of Asia they were being shunned by the Greater United States, British Empire and Eurasian Union but didn't dare talk with the Kingdom (who at the time were massing for an assault on Libya, the last free African state). At the time the Peoples' Republic were more interested in developing their extra-planetary assets and slowly turning the more sensible Islamic Federation into their allies than helping their momentary collaborator. Thus the Arabian Alliance, with no position of bargaining, had become the second pariah of the world market after the Infinite Kingdom. With their economy falling apart and the Americans demanding that they commit to Terra's first proper Tithe the nation was a hot bed of dissent and unfocused anger. So as I'm sure you can imagine the detonation of a megaton yield weapon over the Amman was all the incentive they needed to fall upon each other." The Spirit dutifully uploaded a series of images and maps of the Arabian Alliance.

"What followed is known now as the Thirty Minute War and/or the Second Imperial Intervention. The Arabian Alliance managed to mobilise all their armies, launch their supposedly secret missiles and make a mess of their border towns before the Second Imperial Intervention stopped them dead in their tracks. Now at the time as I have already stated Holy Terra was producing her first official Tithe for the I.G.L. The Terran 1st Legion at the time was only half complete with a compliment of three hundred thousand soldiers boarded on the compliment of Valhalla class Battlcruisers in orbit. The other ships in orbit were a Sol class Dreadnought, three Terran Defenders and two squadrons of Longinus class Destroyers. With minutes of the Alliance civil war erupting the Defenders were already beaming missiles, fighter jets, armoured columns and armies away. The six Longinus Destroyers began bombardment of any fighting while the Dreadnought opened fire with its Drones using the precision weapons to annihilate the military command structure of the warring states.

Sometime after the first three Drone barrages the Dreadnought began beaming down its compliment of troops. Four Regiments of High Mobile Infantry from The Throne Guard, the six Cohorts of the Terran 1st Legion and another two Regiments of I.G.L. assaulted the remaining strongholds of resistance. The High Mobile Infantry landed mostly in Iran/Iraq and lived up to their reputation for lightning fast strikes and decisive victories. While the other Terran forces, surprisingly enough mostly from the Islamic Federation, moved through the defenceless regions; reinstating order as they went. Egypt fell to the Kingdom with the Eradication of Cairo (estimates on the dead still vary), the Eurasian Union quietly engulfed Palestine and Azerbaijan while the Islamic Federation swallowed most of its stricken neighbour with little more than a fleeting declaration. For the rest of Imperial Year 4 and into the two hundreds of Imperial Year 5 Terra settled into a complacency that would cost it dear." Yet another map of the Arabian Alliance slid into place within his holo-book; this time showing the light beige of the Islamic Federation sweeping in from the east consuming most of the Alliance white. Other images mostly of the newer High Mobile Infantry in action followed.

"It was Imperial Year 5 – 214 when the first evidence of the atrocities being carried out inside the Kingdom were detected by the world. The continent of Africa has had a long a bloody past which I have chronicled already; and the King of that forsaken place was looking to make his own lasting addition to that history. Form analysis after the fact I and my Imperial colleagues have concluded that the Kingdom could only logically survive for as long as the King could supply drugs, weapons and enemies. The Kingdom had swept across the better part of a continent going from one battle to another raping and pillaging as they went. Once the last vestige of enemies they could fight on equal terms gone with the collapse of the Arabian Alliance they turned inwards. Of course there were attempts to assault the British Empire but the incursions of 102, 065 and 002 were repulsed with orbital bombardments and I-301B deployments." A grainy and shaky recording showed a pillar of light reaching down towards the earth pushing aside the clouds as it raced towards its target. The ground trembled and the video ended abruptly.

"When exactly the Kingdom imploded we will never know, but the first evidence of the tribal massacres and genocides came from the borders of Nigeria, a state in the British Empire that had long endured the predations of the Kingdom. A party of Terrans on a 'Safari', a curious Terran custom where they pay money to be taken into dangerous terrain to watch the local flora and fauna, strayed into the Infinite Kingdom of Africa and discovered a small deserted village. The village in question is unknown as none of them remember where they were exactly but they had stumbled upon a mass open grave filled with the plasma scoured bodies of the villagers. It is important to note that while not as advanced as the other Terran nations the Kingdom had a large amount of mineral wealth and a budding industry that had been turned over to the production of a bastardised Staff variant. Names for the things ranged from simply Staff to oddly enough Tak the Goa'uld (now known as Jaffa) for trick. Regardless of the myriad of names they had for the devices the fact remains the same the Kingdom had stockpiled mid-powered and mostly reliable plasma weapons. So when the other four nations began to demand answers the King was assured that he could ignore them without reprisal." A schematic of the Kingdom's plasma weapon flashed up followed by short clips of their use during tests and live action. Several videos ended sharply with billowing fireballs covering the holo-tank.

"The matter came to a crux on 297 when refugees overran the Kingdom's border patrols, losing almost a third of their number, and fled into the British Empire. The King, I assume, enraged at their escape from his death camps and overjoyed to be able to turn the insane aggression of his subjects outwards invaded after them. Despite the horrendous losses incurred by the Lances and Railguns of the London 2, New Edinburgh and Second Ottawa orbiting Habs the massive army comprising almost sixty percent of the Kingdoms population flooded into Nigeria, Cameroon and Ghana. Forces from the British Empire were quick to respond and countered the invading forces before they plunged too deep into the countries. It was here that the world learnt of the beast they had left to grow in the heart of Africa. The British military, like almost all Terra based forces at the time, was not as well armed as the I.G.L. having only the basic Lasgun, selective amounts of tank mounted Lascannons and Railguns with a few Plasma Guns scattered amongst their SAS. The Kingdoms forces though all wielded plasma weapons that punched through most Kevlar based body armour with ease. Now I know many of you will be denying that such a thing is possible; but I have seen Staff weapons cut down an Astarte and I can assure you even the shoddy imitations most of the Kingdom's fanatics waved around could finish off an a man in Unpowered Armour." A column of tanks followed by soldiers rolled down a road the pavements littered flag-waving men and women. The picture abruptly switched to the orbiting Habs and three beams of incandescent light reach down towards the planet to score blacked lines into the Earth.

"Ghana and most of Nigeria were burned and body choked wastelands by the end of the standard month. 381 was the day that the British Empire was forced to abandon Cameroon as their losses climbed ever higher. The Kingdom as was their custom I presume set about raping as many people they could and pillaging the far more luxurious and wealthy cities of the British Empire. However this was to be their downfall. Supreme Commander O'Neill and President Hayes had been pushing along with Prime Minster Stuart for an intervention in the Infinite Kingdom but with the troubles in the Ida Restoration Colonies they were distracted. But the images and videos of the Kingdom's fighting men swept the globe and a surge of public outrage erupted. This marked the beginning of the final and largest of the Interventions. With Terra's attention focused upon them the other IOA countries and the Imperium struck at the Kingdom. The Republic's offensive was dulled by the unrest in the Xinjiang region of China and fighting between the provinces of North and South Korea. If the forces of the Greater United States, Eurasian Union, British Empire and the Second Imperium were expecting a decisive victory they were sorely disappointed. The King a man that despite being Ha'taaka (Slayer of Children, Poisoner of Minds, The Forgotten)…" He paused and frowned. It had been a long time since he had slid into his native language without intent.

"Delete last word." He waited as the Spirit quietly and dutifully complied. "…despite allowing his country to destroy itself, had at least a basic grasp of tactics. The massive four way push from the Superpowers into the continent of Africa found little to nothing other than deeply traumatised civilians and ruins. The forces of the Kingdom, some one hundred million drug crazed maniacs, had retreated to the Ahaggar Mountains in Algeria. Attempts to bomb them out lasted for three months but were ultimately futile. So it was Imperial Year 5 – 648 that Supreme Commander O'Neill did what no one had even considered an option before. He ordered in McKay." He smiled at the memory. Even McKay's simple presence on a battlefield had been deemed a crime against humanity by most of Terra and O'Neill's decision was not popular with the politicians.

"The Unborn God as the Furling calls him erased the entire mountain range in a single hour of fighting and accounted for all one hundred million of the Kingdom's militia. Load the video." He ordered leaning back to enjoy the spectacle.

"Yes Lord." The Spirit replied.

A man in a plain khaki shorts and shirt combination was holding his hand to an ear where the tiny microphone of a comm-bead protruded. "You join me here at the edge of the fighting. For the last three months the mindless killers of the Infinite Kingdom have been held up in the Ahaggar Mountins in what was once Algeria. Despite the best efforts of the Terran military and our Imperial allies we have been unable to dislodge them. Here with me I have General McLaughlin of the British Empire. What are your thou…" The image turned white as a sphere of light expanded in the distance a moment later the entire world seemed to shudder. The image stabilised on the General as the blinding light reseeded to merely uncomfortable.

"What do you mean it's GONE?" He screamed into his own comm-bead.

The Hololith flickered to show a deep and blackened elliptical gash in the world. "The creation of 'the Emperor's Tear` earned McKay the title 'Scourge of the African Blocks'. He is now used as a figure in some African folk tales corresponding to the monstrosity that comes to take the sinful. With the King presumable dead and his army little more than free atoms and dust the Superpowers began dividing up the battered continent. The Eurasian Union taking control of the north, the Greater United States took most of the western regions, the Republic was given control over the central area and the British Empire consolidating its control over the south and began the long process of rebuilding. These regions were named the Blocks due to the clinical nature of the continents dissection. It was the aftermath of the Third Imperial Intervention that allowed Supreme Commander O'Neill to circumvent President Hayes and demand the creation of a unified Terran government. There has been some speculation over the years that he had been planning this for some time but I can say from personal acquaintance with the Supreme Commander that: while a superb tactician and a masterful strategist he simply lacks the ability to manipulate people on such a grandiose scale. Something to do with him finding underhanded dealings distasteful. The five remaining states on the planet were swift to agree mainly to prevent the Imperium, who was still there in force, or worse McKay, attacking them. On Imperial Year 5 – 731 the creation of the Terran Federation was official announced. With their efforts unified the colonisation of the Sol system continued and the Uranus and Neptune gas-mining operations were established. Titania and Triton had Habs and mines established while Oberon had a Research and Development station along with a mine build on it. Imperial Year 6 began with the colonisation of the planetoid Pluto. With the final major body in the system colonised the Federation turned inwards and began to reinvent itself. Over the course of the six years the vast majority of the higher ranked Terran military had become Representatives to the myriad of Imperial Regiments. So the remaining military an impressive sixteen million fully trained soldiers were merged into the I.G.L. The creation of the thirty two new Legions was a massive boost to the I.G.L. However the Sol system is the heart of the Imperium both physically and spiritually. Of those Legions raised only eight would be dispatched out-system the others split between Terra and Mars in five separate System Force groups each under the command of a General from one of Federation states. Finally we find ourselves in the protracted peace Terra has known over the last Imperial Year but it has continued to produce an alarming amount of ships, weapons and soldiers despite these peaceful times. Possible due to the growing unrest in Pegasus but that remains to be seen. End Chapter." He once again leaned back and scanned his work, please with what he saw.

"My Lord I have finished inloading the rest of the pertinent data." The Spirit chimed happily.

"Excelent. Title: Events During Imperial Year 1 – 507 to Imperial Year 7 – 118. The entire Pegasus galaxy, already heavily influenced by the Atlantis Expedition, fell into line very quickly and it only took until Imperial Year 1 – 591 for the entire galaxy to be totally under Imperial control. During this time the Zerfàron System was marked off-limits to almost the entire Imperium and remains that way as the Zerfàrim try and rebuild their shattered world. The galaxy in the style of the Milky Way was divided into Segmentums. Segmentum Atlantis, having been an ad hoc creation by Governess Weir, was the capital of the galaxy. Segmentum Calu (named after a Terran war-god) held the regions of Iratus infestation and consequently the smallest populations; it is rather small covering only fifty sectors. Segmentum Titanicus held the vast majority of the Pegasus Dwarf Irregular galaxy but wasn't home to the majority of its population. The Elysium Segmentum was a region that had been heavily fought over during the Wraith-Lantean war and surprisingly had been left relatively intact in the aftermath. Presumably the attacking Wraith forces had been annihilated by the Lanteans before they withdrew. Leaving the Wraith with no record of the Human populations spread across the region. The Zerfàrim, who also reside in the Segmentum, claim to have propagated this situation; partly, I assume, for their own ends. The Segmentum, little larger than Segmentum Atlantis, holds a vast array of advanced Human civilisations most of whom were at or just below the technological level of Terra. The region also boasts the two most dangerous Death Worlds in the entire Imperium. Hel a toxic wasteland home to an off branch of the Asgard known as the Vanir, these renegade Xenos have since re-joined their brothers boosting the Asgard population to about three thousand. And the famous ice desert world Khione, home of the Agimen (the first part of the word is a strange corruption of the Lantean word for 'cold' – 'Pagio'), of course at the time the Human population on the planet was little more than an ecologist's curiosity. During this time the first Expeditionary Forces were sent into Ida were a map of the shattered galaxy was made and returned to the Imperium. The deep wound in the side of Segmentum Pacificus was ignored in favour of stopping the Imperium falling apart as it slowly came down from the nightmare it had just endured. The original intent was to return to it after the Consolidation but true efforts weren't made until Imperial Year 4."Maps, planetary surveys, pictures and small video segments flashed across the holo-tank as he paused.

"The time known as the Consolidation began officially on Imperial Year 1 – 675. The first major change was O'Neill's creation of the Munitorum, Administratum andEcclesiarchy along with the re-structuring of the Mechanicus. These institutions were prevalent in the First Imperium and…"

"My Lord!" The Spirit squeaked as he once again pushed the limits of what he was allowed to include. Its Vox did a very good job expressing its indignation.

He chuckled lightly at the A.I.'s expense. "Fine; … and were created on the advice of the Space Marines, mainly the Librarian Levi and Brother-Sergeant Nestor. The Munitorum, tasked with the logistics of the I.G.L., had its personnel taken mainly from the bloated and overburdened Stargate Command with a few of civilian officials thrown in. The organisation was partially demilitarised and made subservient to the Administratum (a move I believe intended to stop anyone amassing a private army). The main body of this organisation now resides in the Antarctic Citadel along with the Adeptus Terra of the Administratum. The Administratum, the civilian counterpart to the Munitorum, was formed from the ad hoc governments the quick and inexorable Imperial advance had left in its wake and the functionaries of the IOA. Finally the Imperial Cult having spread like wild fire through the Jaffa ranks, tribal peoples of the Goa'uld Empire, and most of Pegasus with a fair number of the more advanced worlds were gathered under the heading of the Ecclesiarchy. The head position of Chaplain Superior was taken, by popular demand, by the General-Priest Kage. These organizations quickly began asserting a truly centralized government and managed to reduce the amount of work forced upon Supreme Commander O'Neill to a far more manageable amount. The reconstruction of the Adeptus Mechanicus, I personally believe, was and still is essential to the continued growth of the Imperium. The system at the time was horribly inefficient and cumbersome. With Engineers/Enginseers in a single Regiment, factory or warship having come to blows over their practices on more than one occasion. It has long been known that Supreme Commander O'Neill holds no great love for religion and the reconstruction of the Mechanicus reflected this." Lists of titles with brief descriptions and pictures of what general functionaries of each Adeptus looked like flowed across the Hololith. Men in simple suits were followed by men in Terran uniforms and in turn were followed by brown robed Preachers and Pontifexs of the Ecclesiarchy Each picture and list slipping in with its corresponding section of information quickly and efficiently.

A picture of a red robbed Tech-Priest flashed up in full prayer; incense fumes hiding the man's face. This was followed by a different person, this time a woman. She held an Omnissian axe in her hands standing tall and proud over the corpse of a shattered Pariah. "Before it was required that anyone wishing to work on Imperial technologies to have been inducted in the Mechanicus. The religious portions of which had discouraged many people from the more advanced worlds from joining cutting off the Imperium from a pool of highly skilled workers. Supreme Commander O'Neill having had enough of this viciously removed the compulsory religious portion of the Adeptus Mechanicus induction. He kept the Machanicus as a whole mainly because its function as a galaxy wide standardized training facility. The move was vehemently opposed by the newly appointed Magos until the Tech-Marines, led by Gideon, ordered them to stand down. Having had a long discussion with Gideon about his actions I think I have compiled a satisfactory conclusion to one of the Imperium's most asked questions. Gideon, like all the Marines, was aware that the Imperial Cult, while wide spread, allowed non-believers to flourish and he reasoned (correctly if you ask me) that if they were to avoid a civil war over elective membership in the Cult and obligatory faith in the Omnissiah; the Mechanicus must follow the example of the Ecclesiarchy. The change has left the Mechanicus divided into two main factions: The Purists the group that still follows the Machine God and almost all hail from less advanced worlds and the Reformists who no longer worship the Omnissiah and originate mainly from the advanced worlds. There was a third and at the time small party known as the Omniscientists; a group who believe that all knowledge is to be used to benefit the Imperium no matter its origin. They are responsible for the recent advances using Replicon technology and are growing in strength as more of the Reformists and a few Purists join them. Representing this divide is the argument over its master. The Purists believe that McKay is a manifestation of the Machine God. An understandable assumption when the hybrid commands powers hovering on the edge of reason and is, himself, part metal. The Reformists believe him to simply be a super-genius (a view he vigorously encourages) and a living data-bank of indescribable mysteries. The Omniscientists are known to vary deeply in their beliefs with some revering him as the Omnissiah incarnate and other as a colleague (admitlly one of far superior knowledge and power). I on the other hand know that McKay is not the true Fabricator-General. He is merely the face put on it to placate the Mechanicus. Their true master is Volundr. The Asgard had served Odin and later Thor as Research Director during their tenure as Supreme Commanders of the Asgard Empire. Volundr is a few hundred years younger than Odin and has a single minded devotion to machinery that borders on the obscene. He is however a true genius and works well with the Yggdrasill Core; having already mapped the first five thousand seven hundred billion entries in the Ancient Database by Imperial Year 7 – 054."

"The Consolidation carried on peacefully as the Imperium began to settle down until Imperial Year 2 – 064 when the official movement of the SGC was completed. With the SGC, now the command center of the entire I.G.L., on Dakara the Terra based Cheyenne Mountain operation returned to its original mandate of exploration. General Landry was offered the position of High General but refused noting that he preferred the 'poking around ruins' side of the original SGC more than 'adverting galactic doom every Monday'. The position was given to Master Bra'tac on the advice of Teal'c of Chulak. During a later conversation General Landry revealed that some of the orders he gave during the Replicon War had left a bitter taste in his mouth. On the other hand the decorated General Hammond, celebrated hero of The Line, accepted the position of High General of the Navy. He immediately began establishing a very fragmented Naval Command. Each Sector had its own central command tied together in a Segmentum wide sub-space comms-net (later they used a very specific and highly encrypted section of the Hugninn and Muninn System) giving the Navy no actual Head Quarters. High General Hammond himself commands from the _Fenrir_ which is normally in the Sol system or orbiting Dakara and Lantea. The period known as the Quiescent which lasted between Imperial Year 2 – 067 and Imperial Year 3 – 897 saw nothing other than, the already mentioned, troubles on Terra, a large influx of new starship classes and war vehicles, populations slowly returning at the edges of the Replicon Waste and the incident of the Lost Generation. It should be noted that it was about this time the first of the Hoffan Clone Legions appeared (where they got the cloning technology remains a mystery; but they make exceptional soldiers). Records of the actual origin of the drug Seco are patchy at best and little is known other than the traditional medicine, a potion made from the Pegasus plant Nativita, which Seco was derived from." Pictures of the new Stargate Command and the leaders of the Imperial military in all their finery flashed up. This was followed by molecular models of the drug Seco followed by pictures of both Seco and Nativita flowing like water across the Hololith.

"Seco swept through the Milky Way peddled by the Lucian Alliance, the non-addictive and apparently harmless high/aphrodisiac replacing everything short of alcohol consumption. Now a little history of the Nativita plant is important in understanding the origins of the Lost Generation. Nativita had long been used in Pegasus to help in child birth, the calming and euphoric effect it had when chewed was the inspiration its derivative Seco sprang from. Of course any Pegasus local would tell you never to touch the thing; in high doses it was a potent poison and was known to even deter Wraith from feeding on an addict. This should be a clue to just how dangerous Nativita, never mind, Seco could be. Asgard analysis has shown that Seco unduly effects gamete production and development in almost all carbon-based lifeforms. However by the time the problem was pointed out to the Supreme Commander by the Asgard and several members of the Administratum who had noted the shifting areas of spending it was far too late. The Lost Generation was mostly born into Imperial Year 3 and almost all of them reached physical maturity before the six hundreds." A simple graph showing the massive spike in population appeared in the right-hand corner of the Hololith.

"It seems that Seco had subtly altered the development of all foetuses exposed to the drug. Little more than nine standard months after birth a human would reach an approximate age of twenty standard years. The Mechanicus and the Asgard Remnant fell upon the problem with almost panicked haste (a fact I attribute to the Asgard's almost hysterical fear of genetic diseases). It was the team of Gentors and Geneticists working from Langara that first produced the cure. The treatment was rushed out to the Imperium and entire Sectors were placed under martial law as the drug lords were hunted down and executed. But the damage was done and by Imperial Year 3 – 822 almost a trillion new fully grown adults were amongst the stars. Almost eighty percent of them were sterile; a side effect of the treatment. The overcrowding on several worlds and the rise in crime as the heel of Imperial law forced former Seco-dealers onto the street is what forced the creation of the Ida Restoration Colonies. The thirty seven original colonies were in the region left mostly unscarred by the multiple wars that had swept through Ida. With colonisation the galaxy itself was broken down into three Segmentums. Genesis Segmentum was the region that could support life and was concentrated at the distant arm from the Core Worlds of the Asgard Empire. Segmentum Apotropaicos was the vast majority of the galaxy left stripped of most of its resources or devastated by the Replicator Wars. Segmentum Mortus was the Core Worlds and surrounding Sectors of the Asgard Empire; they were all left utterly barren after the Replicon horde overran them. Another side-effect of this abrupt rise in crime was the creation of the Imperial Interplanetary Peacekeepers under the command of the Tok'ra (some of them now refer to themselves as Tok'shek – Against Shame) now Marshal Selmak and his host Jacob Carter. The Imperium at large chose to refer to the organisation as the Pacis Arx (literally Peace Keepers)." A map of the Ida Segmentums followed by a breakdown of the population by demographic quickly followed his words.

"The resulting population explosion across the entire Imperium and the establishment of the Pacis Arx has been pointed out as the causes of the True Human Empire's revolt. I however think this to be wistful thinking. Interrogations of Arkad and Netan indicate a deeper and far more disturbing cause. Imperial Year 3 – 999, the last day of the year, saw the opening attacks from the True Human Empire. Gerak the Governor of the planet Truskate and former First Prime of Montu declared that the Imperium was leading the galaxies towards oblivion. Throughout his addresses to the System Forces in the surrounding Systems he would constantly refer to a malignant force he called the Darkness in the Tau'ri. A full three Legions, all of whom were under the command of System General Arkad, followed Gerak into open revolt. These traitors launched an all-out assault on the Forge World Delmak through the Stargate. The devastation was widespread and almost three million people were killed as the bloodthirsty army swept through the System before they apprehended a Valhalla Battlecruiser and two I-303D Sageris class Cruisers. The True Human Empire then fled into intergalactic space pursued by the vengeful Battlefleet of Ultima Segmentum. They wouldn't re-emerge until Imperial Year 4 – 042 when they struck at Castiana. It was here that another force this time composed of members of the Lucian Alliance under the command of Netan joined the True Human Empire merging another six Ha'tak vessels into their fleet. Fortunately for the Imperium a full Battalion of Khione Agimen were on War Games with an equal number of Throne Guard. At the time these terrifying combat personnel were still a part of the I.G.L. and didn't have access to the same amount of equipment they have now. Still roughly two thousand men and women held the million and a half army of the True Human Empire at a deadly standstill for a full day while a suitable Imperial Battlefleet was gathered. Every single one of them was awarded the Grand Cross of Sol and several more received the Order of Terra. The battle remains the highest amount of Orders of Terras ever issued at once and it has become a tradition between the Throne Guard and Agimen to compete for the highest number awarded. The next day, 045, the Imperium came down like a hammer on the True Human Empire fleet. Even the Valhalla's fleet wide Void shield did little to stop the Imperial assault. The Sageris Cruisers were each hulked almost immediately: one by a Squadron of new Longinus Destroyers and another by a single Vajar Frigate. The Valhalla abandoned the trapped army of the True Human Empire and fled into hyperspace along with the two surviving Ha'tak; they were never to be seen again. Arkad and several of the higher officers were captured and later executed while the survivors of the traitor Legions were all sent to Penal Colonies scattered across the Imperium. Gerak and Netan went to ground using the Stargates and Tel'tak cargo ships to move form safe-house to safe-house launching raids on the Imperium over the next two standard months." A menagerie of images and videos flew across the holo-tank. Gun cameras and security tapes of the fighting on Castiana showing the traitors being slaughtered flickered up. Pictures of the devastation on Delmak and the three stolen ships. Profiles on Arkad, Netan and Gerak. It all flashed up on the Hololith just long enough for him to know his painstaking research had been attached to his holo-book.

He gently sipped at the glass noting that it was once again almost empty. "Theories exist that the many of the surviving Lucian Alliance and traitor Legionnaires escaped to the Ida Restoration Colonies rather than follow Netan and Gerak to their deaths. The fact remains that the True Human Empire's attempt to launch a guerrilla war against the Imperium after its success at exterminating the terrorists of Terra was foolhardy. Using the Mind-Sifter the Pacis Arx in collaboration with the Adeptus Astartes quickly rolled up the True Human Empire and Netan was apprehended on 215. Gerak himself chose to fight the Space Marine kill-team to the death and his body was retrieved and returned to Terra for examination. I have never been able to uncover anything about these interrogations myself; but the subtle yet substantial increases in the I.G.L., Navy, H.M.I. and Pacis Arx since then has never sat well with me." That was very true the Imperium had never quite come down to the same level of peace as the Quiescent after that.

"The aftermath of the revolt would be felt for a long time. Supreme Commander O'Neill was pressured by several of his advisors most notably a man called Ronon Dex to create an Imperial Special Services. The High Mobile Infantry came into existence on Imperial Year 4 – 225 and were initially formed from the Ilempiri Death Commandos, Jaffa of the Throne Guard, Khione Agimen and Satedan Planetary Forces. The continued rebuilding of the areas savaged by the True Human Empire and the Replicon Wastes was the main focus of the Imperium at the time. The massive leap forwards in weapon technology experienced during this period was due to the Azazel Engine (a Machine Spirit rivalling the Yggdrasill Core in complexity devoted to the production of weapons) being created and installed in Luna 2. This was most noticeable to the common Citizen in the deployment of the Type 2 Space Combat Habitats (almost two kilometres in diameter) known as Crows because of their distinctive shape and colouring. The stations were placed at the Lagrangian Points of a planet and were all armed with Drones, Railguns and Plasma Lances. Most of them quickly developed a healthy civilian population due to their placement and size. This relative peace continued until Imperial Year 4 – 335 when the Fourth Air Force comprising its full active strength vanished during hyperspace transit between Atlantis and Waterfall (M1K-439). A similar incident occurred on 365 involving the 4th Hoffman Clone Legion on route to Croya (M2S-181) their losses including fleet personnel numbering close to six hundred thousand (and a Sol class Dreadnought). And again on 371 when the entire 11th Taskforce from the Lantea Sector Fleet, numbering three Cruisers and four Frigates, vanished during the weeklong trip between Pegasus and the Milky Way. Evidence of sub-space rupturing was found around each site but no sign of the fleets was ever found. These incidents resulted in the Jovian Mutiny which I have already covered. As stated earlier the upper-classes of the Imperium were severely disturbed as seemingly unconquerable Imperium suddenly became vulnerable. Interstellar travel ground to a halt and worlds without a Stargate began to feel the pressure of isolation. Desperate to lessen the burden on the Navy Supreme Commander O'Neill authorised the creation of the Chariot cargo vessel and the Free Traders. The Chariot (at half a kilometre was a massive improvement over a Tel'tak) was the first civilian vessel to have an intergalactic hyperdrive and a viable cargo space. The Free Traders, the title bestowed on the owner of the ship which wasn't necessarily its Captain, exploded in number and power controlling the interstellar and intergalactic trade lanes; but they never overstepped their limitations mainly due to the Hugninn and Muninn Systems." An image of a slightly overweight man standing in front of a ship flashed up. The Chariot was not as gothic as other Imperial ships the smoother lines of Goa'uld engineering touching it; the unmistakable bulges of weapon mounts lined the dorsal area and the prow.

"Secretly at the same time as the Azazel Engine the Hugninn and Muninn System was created by the Yggdrasill Core, Administratum, Munitorum, Mechanicus and Asgard Remnant. It remains one of the Imperium's most ambitious and so far incomplete policies. The Muninn has a connection on every inhabited Imperial world and holds the entire archives of the Imperium; replacing a clumsy and near unmanageable data bank almost a kilometre in size in the Antarctic Citadel. In essence it allows a person on Atlantis to access data on Terra instantly without the use of a Stargate or ship. The Hugninn is a sub-space sensor net that will one day span the entire Imperium allowing monitoring of everything everywhere. If you cannot grasp the concept then simply imagine the Imperium being able to react instantaneously to any incident (giving Supreme Commander O'Neill a level of omnipresence that terrifies me to no small amount). The Free Traders were informed that all their actions were being watched by the System at the outset of their creation. Since none of them fancied facing down a Cruiser six times their size and eight times their firepower or having a Regiment of High Mobile Infantry storming their homes they, on the whole, behave. However the Federation of Free Trade and Enterprise, an alliance of the wealthiest men (the same ones who questioned O'Neill's competence), has been slowly expanding its holding over the last few years and unconfirmed reports of them scavenging in the Replicon Wastes, Segmentum Apotropaicos and Segmentum Mortus are rife but unconfirmed." A graph noting a spike in both illegal weapons and Xeno artefact sales after the establishment of the Federation of Free Trade and Enterprise flickering into life in the left hand corner.

"With the Jovian Mutiny over and order returned to the Imperium, the majority of Imperial Year 4 flew by with the ever more potent terraforming technologies of the Imperium clawing back space System by agonising System from the Replicon Wastes. A cause for celebration during this time was the creation of the Asgard Remnant Generation II. All of whom were free of the genetic instability that had plagued them for so long. But at this time pirates, most of who answer to an organisation known only as the 'Alliance' (from research I believe this to be fragments of the Lucian Alliance that have pulled together the dwindling might of the two galaxy's criminal groups), appeared and began raiding the Free Traders. Battles between pirates and the Imperial Navy are scare and quick since nothing short of a Destroyer could catch the heavily modified Chariots in real-space but at the same time the pirates were woefully outgunned. To counter these pirates more efficiently the Imperium increased the power of the Pacis Arx. The addition of Ordo to their title has been traced to a joke by Tech-Marine Vanem who compared some of the new Secuis (Sections) in the organisation to the First Imperium's Inquisition. During this time the Ordo Pacis Arx started codenaming their Sections (1-9) according to the Primarchs as the Sons of Sol and Ecclesiarchy had described them." A picture of a slightly taller and more robust Asgard flashed into life. A short video of a pirate ship being run down and destroyed by the Plasma Lances of a Destroyer followed.

"At the outset of Imperial Year 5 two new Cults appeared seemingly from nowhere. The Covenant of the Sleeping God (mainly referred to as simply the Covenant) a movement focused mainly in Pegasus and the underground movement known as the Sanctified Order of Light appeared in the Ida colonies. The Covenant, who I have discovered have been growing quietly on Pegasus backwater planets since Imperial Year 2, was made the official religion of several small tribes and a medium sized Hive World (Kelkean) much to the displeasure of the local Governors but nothing has been done to stop its spread. Its practices are seemingly harmless but the rate at which its spreads and fanaticism of its followers reminds me far too much of my own worshipers. I have raised the point with Supreme Commander O'Neill several times and he agrees; but he constantly vocalizes his view that the Imperium will not slaughter civilians on a hunch. The situation in the Ida Restoration Colonies was different though. Now numbering almost eighty the colonies had become a refuge for those who were shunned by the Imperium at large. The large population of mostly manual workers was infested with criminals and gangs as they sought to escape the ever tightening noose of the Pacis Arx. The Order found strong roots in these fractured populations and for some reason I have never been able to discern was watched with great curiosity by the Pacis Arx. But the festering, and untraceable, resentment between the Order and the Imperial Cult erupted in violence. The Pacis Arx rounded the Imperial Cultists up almost at once and confined them to their Habs but then hit the Order much harder from every direction. Section 7 (codenamed Russ) the fabled 'hunters of the unjust' were seen in truly unprecedented numbers and rumours of the Mind-Sifter being deployed have lingered to this day. Towards the end as the more fanatical (and stupid) members of the Order began to actually fight against the Pacis Arx Regiments of the Imperial Gate Legion and several Platoons of High Mobile Infantry were ordered in. There are even stories of an Astarte Squad being deployed at one point. The fighting resulted in surprisingly few deaths but the Order was almost utterly destroyed (evidence points to a small cabal having gone to ground and stayed hidden at the start of the fighting). The Imperial Cult Preachers, Pontifexs and the few Chaplains were all chastised heavily but never actually punished. The Pacis Arx then moved their focus to the Covenant but have yet to enact another purge." A long video of the riots followed by clipped segments, mainly from civilian hand held cameras, showing Pacis Arxs and later the I.G.L. clashing with the Order.

"My Lord I have detected that the ambient temperature within the house has fallen below optimal. Shall I restore it?" The Machine Spirit asked concern almost dripping from its Voxes.

"Yes, I think that would be a good idea." He replied, finally noting that once again his prison had lost too much heat to the frozen atmosphere beyond it.

"Yes Lord."

He paused, waiting for the fire in the grate to spontaneously combust and the heat to fill the room. "Nothing asides the slow and unstoppable reclamation of planets in the Wastes, the Third Intervention and another leap in terraforming technology happened for the rest of Imperial Year 5. With the Terran situation finally stabilised in Imperial Year 6 Supreme Commander O'Neill (I personally think tired of having to do everything himself) instituted the Senate of the Imperium. The eight other members were chosen to help him maintain the smooth running of the Imperium. The Commissioner of the Imperium (the head of the Administratum) Richard Woolsey, High General of the Imperial Navy George Hammond, High General of the Imperial Martial Services Master Bra'tac, Chaplain Superior Kage, Marshal Selmak and Jacob Carter, Chapter Master (a formal title bestowed upon Angelus by the other Sons of Sol for the sake of the Senate; he constantly complains that he is still a Captain) Angelus, Fabricator-General McKay (in actual fact Volundr under a hologram) and the Lord of Terra (an elected position) President Haynes. The Imperium like Terra slipped into a year of calm peace as it recovered from the blood and fire and insanity that had assaulted it during its turbulent birth and the years it searched for its equilibrium. The only notable development during this period was the creation of the Type 3 Space Combat Habitats or Outer Defence Grids. The ODGs are located in the Kuiper Belts of solar systems. The main and most effective part of the Outer Defence Grids is the Sub-Space Distortion Field; these devices are said to trace their origins back to the battle of The Line where Tyranid Hives were able to disrupt hyperspace transit. The device creates a 'bubble' around the System that is completely impassable in hyperspace. This forces all ships entering a defended System to drop back into real-space or face the destruction of their hyperdrive (normally resulting in an explosion of gargantuan proportions capable of destroying an entire fleet). With each Outer Defence Point being a planetoid fortress of the highest order it is almost impossible to force through the Grid. This has eliminated the need for the Crows and Halos; but many of the Crows remain in-service due to their healthy civilian populations. However Outer Defence Grids have only been installed in the most populous System (a mere fifteen percent of inhabited Imperial space) leaving many of the outer lying System using the out-dated Type 2 Space Combat Habitats as their main line of defence."

"These peaceful times have been recently shattered with the emergence of the Asolars. A band of pillaging psychopaths (not associated with the Alliance; they have been quite since the Ida incident and would dare attract as much attention as the Asolars have) that began operation in the 900s. They have hit three sparsely populated worlds so far near the rim of the Milky Way. The attacks have been brutal and abrupt leaving no survivors or evidence in their wake. Already a full Battlegroup has been tasked with their annihilation but it looks like they are having trouble even finding the pillaging Asolars fleets. Fleets I might add who have so far been able to overrun an Imperial Taskfroce and avoid detection on the Hugninn System. In concurrence with these raids over the last two standard months of Imperial Year 7 there have been strings of random serial murders and irrational hysteria spreading across Pegasus. Worryingly I have noticed recently that the Imperium has begun to prepare far more openly for war once again. This has been marked by a larger increase in the number of active warships and fighting personnel. Against who or what remains to be seen. End Chapter." Pictures of the aftermath of the Asolar raids flashed up turning even his dispassionate stomach. A small graph about the problems in Pegasus followed by the Imperial Battlegroup chasing the raiders gently floated to the back of the Hololith.

Now for his little dig at the security of the Imperium. He needed to entertain himself somehow. "Title: The Military Disposition of the Imperium. It seems that the fate of the Imperium will forever be tied to its military might. In the face of this fact I have decided to include a chapter dedicated to the weapons and soldiers of the Imperial Martial Services and the Imperial Navy."

"Firstly we shall deal with the Imperial Martial Servicers. As we know the Imperial Gate Legion came into existence during Imperial Year 0 during the Goa'uld War (the so called Time of Enlightenment) and have been the stalwart defenders of the Imperium ever since. After the Replicon War in Imperial Year 1 there was a demand from all sides for improvements from the standard Lasgun and projectile weapons used during that conflict. By Imperial Year 2 the Terra styled projectile weapons had reached their current theoretical limitations. During this time as I have already alluded to a large number of new fighting machines made an appearance in the I.G.L. and the Navy during the Quiescent. Using the existing pattern of the highly distinguished Leman Russ Battletank the Mechanicus created several new variants. The Longsword Battle Tank armed with a Railgun (this was changed in Imperial Year 6 with the development of the Heavy Railgun). The Maelstrom Battle Tank utilising the plasma pulse (referred to as Pulse) blast technology taken from the Zerfàrim (in the form of multiples of a device they refer to as a Burst Cannon). The Exterminator Battle Tank was outfitted with a double barrelled upgraded Autocannon. And the Executioner Battle Tank which was fitted with a Plasma Destroyer. Even the Astartes benefited from the new developments with the enhancement of their Bolters to allow a greater muzzle velocity and the inclusion of several new Predator variants. The Predator Terminator (Heavy Railgun), Eradicator (Long-Melta) and Obliterator (Plasma Destroyer later upgraded with Plasma Accelerator technology) were produced in rapid succession along with the Elephant. The Elephant was designed as a heavily armed Rhino and is armed with two turret-mounted Assault Cannons. The Sen'rab (named after its creator) pattern Drop Pod was also built and field tested. The new Drop Pod was fitted with a Ring system that allowed a single Pod to not only deploy Space Marines but also I.G.L. Despite the Space Marines' reservations over using Xeno technology the Pod was so successful that they quickly adopted it for their own use. Many of the Mechanicus were eager to try and create the Supertanks that several of the Serf-Crew and Space Marines had mentioned in passing but their massive cost in both development and maintenance when compared to the Battletanks, not to mention their complete inability to even be broken down to fit through a Stargate, left them as an undesirable option (I have, however, discovered a Project Pater Caelum; which seems to be developing a 'Game Ender'. The Mechanicus, Remnant, Terran Federation and Martial Services are all taking a very keen interest in it)." Pictures of all the new variants and devices buzzed around the holo-tank like angry insects as they were made ready for the holo-book.

"Little more happened until Imperial Year 4 with the creation of the High Mobile Infantry and the Azazel Engine prompted another round of upgrades and new classes. These were the Land Speeder Hurricane armed with a Plasma Cannon (upgraded at a later date when the Plasma Accelerator was developed). The Mars pattern Sentinel armed with a Multi-Laser (which would be upgraded with the development of the Ignis Sol technology). The Catachan pattern Sentinel equipped with a Flamer fuelled by the Naquadria enhanced Promethium mixture developed during the Pegasus Expedition. And the Lantea pattern Sentinel which was furnished with a Railgun. The two kinds of armour used by the Martial Services and Navy were developed at during this phase of advancement. These were the Unpowered Armour and the Semi-Powered Armour. Both were far superior to the Flak Armour that preceded them. Unpowered Armour draws heavily from the Carapace Armour of the Space Marine Scouts but has several upgrades. These include the compression technology normally sported by the Jaffa Guards of the old Goa'uld Empire (it allows the Armour to be worn in vacuum but at the same time easily opened to air), sensory enhancement techniques (mostly internal Auspexs) and the ability to diffuse mild energy blasts (this was thanks to several of the anti-Wraith armours prevalent in Pegasus, especially but not exclusively the Zerfàrims). It also seems to take some of the kinetic-resistant materials (mostly designed to resist high speed impacts from Tyranid weaponry) found on Alteran Body Armour circa the Second Age of Pandemonium. Semi-Powered Armour, like its name suggests, is based on the early Terran attempts to re-create the Astartes' Power Armour and the Power Armour of the Asgard (the Vanir bio-suits and the armour worn during the Alliance/Tyranid War). Much heavier than the Unpowered Armour it affords a greater degree of protection along with strength and sensory enhancements. A man in Semi-Powered Armour is as strong as an armoured Proto-Asgard (which is a significant enhancement as a Proto-Asgard can have nearly twice the muscle mass and density of a Human). The new Bolter ammunition type was introduced during this period. The Diripios Round was the ultimate in anti-armour and anti-personnel Bolter shells. The mass-reactive cap was connected to a small crystal, the highly compressed core of a Hand-Device, which would detonate with the telekinetic blast of massive proportions enhanced by the Naquadah inside the round. The unique properties of the Hand-Device meant that even where a normal concussive blast would leave you unharmed a Diripios blast would leave you unconscious or heavily battered. With the need explosives removed and the crystal quite small the rest of the round was turned over to Naquadah and Deuterium which made the rounds very heavy allowing them to punch through armour with greater ease." Small clips of several of them in action during the troubles on Terra and the True Human Empire's revolt followed the narration and pictures of the other with labelled diagrams flickering into life before him.

"Imperial Year 6 saw the military take its final form and the most devastating of its weapons being put into use. It began with the Omniscientists of the Mechanicus developing the Gauss Pulse Rifle (termed Disruptor by the Services and utilised heavily by the H.M.I. as a terror weapon). This was followed quickly by the rest of the Mechanicus creating the Heavy Railguns, Pulse Cannons and the current ultimate in small arms. These are the Dominus Incursio Mars pattern Railrifle (which has replaced Lasguns as the main weapon of the I.G.L.), its smaller variant the Railcarbine. And the Ignis Sol Hebridan pattern Lasgun (the weapon is at the absolute limit of Las technology and has been installed on all "military Grade" Las weapons) along with the Genii produced Type 20 Carbine version. At the same time the Jormungand, a Basilisk chassis with a Particle Whip installed, joined the ranks of the Martial Services as a formidable artillery piece. Another Battletank, the Windraker, was added to motor pool. The Gauss Pulse Cannon it mounts is a rare but highly effective weapon. Along with these was the Minotaur Siege Tank which sported a Pulse Cannon (the weapon is horrendously long-range and can blast clean through an unshielded Frigate at full power). Finally the Iterant Tactical Battlesuit, developed with the help of the Zerfàrim and Furling, was added to the High Mobile Infantry's repertoire. The Battlesuit has replaced the many of the Battletanks and Sentinels that previously accompanied the H.M.I. into battle. This has allowed for them to start using modified Drop Pods as a route to engagement (the associated stigma of an Astartes assault that surrounds the Drop Pods has been said to terrify even the most determined defender when they witness a large deployment). The Plasma Gun also received an increase in power and stability by using the Plasma Accelerator technology developed from the Plasma Lance. The Plasma Gun received the ability to be fired repeatedly over a short period giving the previously slow firing weapons a burst-mode. " A quick film demonstrating several of the new weapons vaporising concrete, ceramite and plasteel moved across the holo-tank waiting for the last of the murderous weapons to blow a hole through a meter of plasteel before it faded.

"Now for the Imperial Navy. The Navy in a true sense didn't truly exist until Imperial Year 1 and the onset of the Replicon War. Where Terra began organising the groupings of Terran Defenders that permeated the Milky Way. Just before the Replicon war the two Battleship classes Ragnarok and Orilla were developed and towards the end of the conflict the Terran Avenger was completed. After the War a disgruntled Navy demanded that they stop wasting their Cruisers as escorts for the Battleships. Also during this period it was decided to begin standardising the Broadsides of the ships and drop several of the more esoteric weapons (most notably the ineffective PGG). The Frigate class (which had been shelved since the outset of the Replicon War) based on the first Tau'ri ship the _Prometheus _was put into production. The I-302A Assailant class Frigate was a single kilometre long and crewed by two hundred personnel with enough space to carry a Battalion into battle. Two torpedo tubes and a dorsal Lance combined with its Broadsides to make it an effective harassing/screening element. Its companion was the five hundred meters larger I-302B Vajar class Frigate. Sporting a Nova Cannon in place of the Lance and torpedoes it is a far rarer ship but packs a ridiculously dangerous punch (during the True Human Empire revolt a single Vajar Frigate hulked one of the traitor Sageris Cruisers). The I-301B (commonly called Prowlers) was developed at the same time to remove the need for the I-301As (nicknamed Marauders) to act as bombers. The I-301B was fitted with an array of anti-ship and anti-instillation weapons. The Assault Cannons were replaced with Lascannons and most of the missile compliment was replaced with Railguns. A gunner's position over the larger engine mounts was fitted with a Long-Melta. The three and a half kilometre I-303C Chollima Cruiser was designed for mass fighter deployment. The ship replaces its torpedo bays and most of its Broadsides with hangar bays. The Cruisers were capable of launching two whole wings of I-301As and Bs at once (almost a match for the fighter compliment of a Battleship). The final addition to the Navy at this time was the I-304C Gungnir class Battleship. The Battleship replaced its torpedo tubes with Lances giving it five of the devastating weapons. Speculation as to why has run rampant ranging from preparation against further Tryanid assaults (the Lance batteries having proven very effective against the Hive Ships) to the idea that the Imperium had used all it torpedoes during the Replicon War (not as far off the mark as one might think. If it weren't for the Asgard Beam Constructers then the Avengers would have exhausted torpedo supplies quite quickly)." A gentle smile broke his face as he watched the Imperial Navy vessels scroll across his Hololith. It was interesting to note the Tau'ri's evolution. Even if it was a morbid form of curiosity.

"Once again another jump in military capacity didn't come until Imperial Year 4 with the introduction of widespread Drone technology and, more importantly, the Plasma Lance. The device was the final evolution of Asgard Plasma weapons combined with the advances made in Las technology (which when miniaturised would become the Ignis Sol variants). The beam was terrifyingly powerful able to punch through the current generation of Void shields with a sickening ease. The upgrade spurred a new class of Cruiser and an original type of Imperial ship: Destroyers. The new class was the I-303D Sageris which had exchanged its Broadsides for Plasma Lances. The Sageris was fully able take down a Battleship if it could close which was why the frontal armour was reinforced reducing its torpedo spread from four too two and replacing the prow Lance with a dorsal mounted weapons battery. The Cruiser also replaced the Terran Avenger in almost all fleet roles. The I-303B being far too specialised for continued widespread use. The Destroyer, the I-301C, was the Longinus class and mounted three Plasma Lances across its seven hundred meter hull. The Destroyer class was wickedly fast able to overhaul all known ships (it has even been said that the crews experience a mild form of time dilation that even the Ancient's inertial dampeners can't compensate against). The smaller, only five kilometre, I-304D Mjolnir and I-304E Valhalla Battlecruisers were also created to facilitate planetary subjugation and fleet movements. The Mjolnir replaced the keel fighter bays of the I-304s with four Bombardment Cannons and the Valhalla replaced the majority of its Broadside and hangar bay with a huge external Void shield generator and troop quarters. The massive sections required for the six torpedo launchers were replaced with a prow mounted Drone launcher to increase its carrier capacity. The Valhalla's Fleet Shield had the ability to project the newest type of Void shield over a massive area granting a fleet the ability to hide behind a near impenetrable wall. The Fleet Shield was based on a combination of Lantean City Shields, Asgard Planetary Shields and the Void shields (this removed the Void shields emitters' tendency to burnout when under constant strain. Allowing these shields to be active constantly, if their power requirements were met). The Valhalla's increased troop capacity allowed it to transport five Cohorts or two hundred and fifty thousand soldiers into battle. Making them a very valuable support ship. The final addition at this time was the I-305 Sol class Dreadnought. The mightiest ship in space the Dreadnought was nine kilometres long and armed to the proverbial teeth. Three Drone launchers (one dorsal and two abeam), eight torpedo tubes, dorsal Plasma Lances and a Broadside that could shatter small planets all backed up by dual Zero Point Modules made the Sol Dreadnoughts almost unstoppable." Fleets in action and formations light minuets across moved across the Hololith labels and sub-text following the tiny pin pricks of light.

"Like the Services the Navy took on its final form in Imperial Year 6 with the introduction of the Gauss Pulse weapons, Heavy Railguns, Pulse Cannons and the Zerfàrim's cloaking device. The Navy finished their streamlining of the Broadsides at this time replacing the veritable menagerie of weapons with Plasma Accelerators (a rapidly firing extremely powerful plasma weapon), Heavy Railguns and Pulse Cannons. The Sol class Dreadnoughts, being the only ships with enough power to operate them, received Gauss Pulse Cannons and Particle Whips as well. The Disruptor Cannons were inserted into the dorsal mounts allowing a greater field of fire and the Particle Whips replaced the eight torpedo tubes. The final two ships and fighters of the Imperial Navy were developed in conjunction by the Mechanicus. The I-302D and I-302E: a Destroyer and a Frigate. The I-301D, the Vortex class Destroyer, replaced its Plasma Lances with two Drone Launchers allowing it to pump out a respectable amount of Lantean's signature weapon in a short time. The Destroyers usual tactic is to spin creating a vortex (hence its name) of Drones as it passes through an enemy fleet letting the swarm of rotating Drones spiral in behind it and tear its targets apart. The Frigate known as the Reticent class is outfitted with a cloaking device that renders it completely undetectable to all known Auspexes. The ship also mounts the "Pulse Lances" of the Zerfàrim in place of its Plasma Lances and torpedo; presumably this allows it to maintain a stealth profile even when the cloak has dropped. The I-301C and I-301D are like their I-302 cousins and were developed to take advantage of the new technology. The I-301C (christened Raiders by their crews) is a purely space based fighter craft having a shape that would probably tear itself apart in atmosphere. It was however appallingly fast and armed with Gauss Pulse Cannons making it the bane of any unshielded target. The I-301D (codenamed Fury) like the I-302E uses the cloaking technology of the Zerfàrim to make a scout of unparalleled ability. The craft is lightly armed but like the I-301C incredibly fast. At this time the upgraded Void shields (based of the technology first used in the Valhalla's Fleet Shield; just miniaturised) were installed across the Navy giving every ship the ability to survive combat as long as their power supplies held." Again images and pictures of the mentioned weapons of death flickered across the Hololith much to his satisfaction.

Now for a nice summary and he was finished. "This is the fighting strength of the Imperium. And having fought against it once I can tell you that it…"

"My Lord it is time for you appointment." The Machine Spirit interrupted with casual ease, following his orders to the letter.

"Why yes, thank you My Dear." He replied gently getting up from the desk like Hololith.

Moving swiftly he crossed into a corner of the large room where a small alcove sat nestled into the wall. With one last sweeping glance of the room he activated the transporter's Vox.

"This is Ba'al. I have an appointment with the Supreme Commander." The image of the woman flickered slightly as her Vox tracker her movements.

"We know." She replied sternly.

Ba'al sighed heavily. It was one of them. One of the Humans who still held onto their hatred of his race, even when they were all dead and gone. He was truly the last Goa'uld in existence. "Yes I'm requesting permission to leave." He continued ignoring the tightening of her eyes.

"Permission granted." She muttered pressing the sequence into her terminal that moved the locator of his Void Manacle to the SGC and activated his transporter.

Ba'al vanished a moment later. Quietly, the room darkened and the Machine Spirit began the laborious task of translating the holo-novel. Outside the windows the faint light of Sol flickered across the frozen landscape and Charon rose gently into the sky.


	3. In the Footsteps of Lucifer

"Normal speech."

"**Gothic around non-Imperials**."

"Mental Links."

"_Ship Names_."

* * *

Shighaara: Thank you. I hope you enjoy this just as much.

Alpha Omega Protocol: Thanks. As you will read the Ori up their game quite nicely. And I'm not quite sure about the AMP. It would depend on what it fought, a Taskforce of a few Cruisers would probably be destroyed but a Battlegroup or two with a couple of Dreadnoughts might be able to take it down.

Darth nylon544: Thanks you.

1) We'll see. I've just got too much on my plate (university and all that) to make the main chapters and further omake. But I might dabble during the Christmas break if I can free up some time.

2) There are lots of people on Earth that want to get into space and they do. Most of them just don't really leave Sol. It's a big psychological jump from: bound to one planet to actually being able to leave you home System. Religious expansion is not persecuted it's just that if you go to the wrong place and talk to the wrong people they'll skin you; literally. People have tried but to your average Imperial citizen Earth religions fall into two categories: proto-Emperor and Goa'uld. The Imperial Cult handles the Emperor's side and no one wants to start a Goa'uld cult.

3) Yes, that right. The Imperium has technologies that can remove their knowledge deficit but they will tend towards a more simplistic personality. They can't understand more complex things like lying, neurosis or sarcasm. They take everything at face value just like a child. It's the Lost Generation that is sterile not the parents but a lot of them were traumatised by the event anyway.

4) Ida is way, way closer to the MG that Pegasus. It takes an Asgard hyperdive on ZPMs to make the MG-Pegasus run in a week. Imperial ships can do it in about the same time. You'll just have to read on and see.

5) Not really – well a good scientist learns to roll with it, a bad one bitches about him/herself. Renewable tech is still important, it's just not so 'Oh my God we're all going to DIE!' important. There is only a finite amount of usable planets in a galaxy even with terraforming and if you burn them all out then we're screwed. But things like the Asgard Beam Constructors do side line a lot of that stuff.

6) A Judge should be able to outperform a Crisis Battlesuit. It has anti-grav and inertial dampers mixed in with better armour and a much more powerful A.I. So yeah I think they should win. Even against just the I.G.L. with the new Imperial weapon the Tau would lose but they screw each other over pretty well. The standard rifle is what's considered one of the most devastating weapons in the Tau arsenal and an Ignis Sol Lasgun can punch clean through anything they field. But a Pulse Rifle is still a deadly weapon. But the H.M.I. would steam roll the Tau; they are after all a stop gap between Space Marines and the line troopers.

7) The Tau won't evolve for some thirty thousand years. In that time I plan to have T'au mined to the gills and made into a lovely Forge World. It would just be a waste of a good planet if they fragged it now.

8) To the common citizen life is good. Teleportation is everywhere, money can be made meaningless with a word and only exists to help control the use of resources, no one should go hungry or without a job. It's just generally a nice place to live. Think like Star Trek just their not pacifist idiots. The Ad Mech does most of the training when working with tech but a schools system is in place on all worlds. It's just not advanced a lot yet because it's only existed for about five years. The planetary governments run education classes for older people as well.

9) They can, they just don't want to do it on a big scale. If you start messing around with the Stargate network and something goes wrong the entire Imperium might grind to a halt. Suns could explode, planets scorched of all life as their Gates go nova and temporal events might even destroy the Imperium in its entirety. So they want to take it nice and slow with that one.

10) You'll just have to read and find out. Higher dimension work is being stayed well clear of until they have a better understanding of it, no use building paradise if you nuke it with the fiery destruction of the universe. The Goa'uld personal shield required one to remain still when in use; not a very good idea in a fire fight. The Lantean personal shield is currently under research but they really don't want to start using them in case they seal someone inside, like what almost happened to McKay.

11) The military doctrine has become far more Platoon and Squad based with smaller groups of a larger entity acting as independently. Rather than human wave / meat shield tactics. Basically they act like you say so just with lasers and stuff.

12) I would place them as a Type III borderline Type IV civilisation (see Kardashev scale). Or in other words nigh unstoppable at the moment. Once they crack things like Arcturus, time travel, Warp/realspace overlays and perfect energy/matter interactions they will be untouchable. Stargate civilisations were always a little more powerful than other sci-fi civilisation and I honestly can't think of a race off the top of my head that could take them on in a stand up fight other than the Ori, and that's only because their Ascended. When we get down to it the Imperium can erase solar systems and annihilate entire fleets. Everyone else is too small or not as advanced.

13) Schools yes and even if the Imperium was oppressive they wouldn't be a problem. You've assumed that there would always be a non-censored education; see America and the way they handle Evolution and Creationism for an example. What you can teach a child can be anything, they don't know any better, and if no one exists to tell them otherwise they never will. By Hive World I'm mean a place where the Human population has to stay inside Hives. Mars is a very inhospitable world and going outside is extremely detrimental to your health. The red planet is too small to hold a viable atmosphere for long so the Imperium is working on 'air shields' but they're not ready yet.

14) They killed twenty four and a half million people. You don't get away lightly with that kind of shit. It's better to get your hands a little dirty now than have more innocent people butchered. From the get go O'Neill, and the others, have known that the Imperium is brutal to its enemies. Most of them have grown to accept that, they may not like it, but they understand its necessity. Just like the Space Marines have become a little softer the SG people have become a little harder.

15?) I'm fairly certain a Cruiser could; maybe even a Frigate or Destroyer. Despite its impressive size of ~ 19 km its shields and armour are weak, its weapons little more than jumped up Laser Blasters, slower than a rock in realspace and they lack the most basic understanding of Beaming technology. All it would take was any Imperial ship to go evasive and Beam away whole sections of the SSD and leave the crew to die of vacuum exposure. For an example see how the Asgard treat the Goa'uld when they piss them off. But for the sake of 'awesomeness!' a Gungnir, Ragnarok and Sol class could take it in a straight up fight, especially the Sol with its ZPMs I don't even think it would need to dodge. The Plasma Lances, Nova Cannon, Particle Whips and Gauss Pulse Cannons are just too powerful for a SSD to face off against. The Orilla and smaller classes just lack the raw fire power to tear an SSD apart, but they could mess each other up fairly badly.

Thanks for the longest review ever!

Skipper 1337: Thank you. The Imperium isn't a tyrannical entity (its run by O'Neill!) it's just most of them like it being run by O'Neill. Elections and whatnot do happen for positions of Governor, etc. it's just again that most of them are used to being told what to think and do and that's a hard block of conditioning to break.

McKay was made Fabricator-General because he's half machine and the Ad Mech like that. They like that a lot. Carter does important work and is renowned for it it's just McKay makes a better prophet of the Omnissiah.

Ronon is far too old to become a Marine. So I made him a demi-Marine with the H.M.I.

Ba'al will find a way. It's what he does. That and I don't want to kill him off.

Read on and find out.

Lord Of The Blood Moon: Thanks. I think this chapter will explain a bit more.

starspawn07: Thanks. There was a summary of the military might of the Imperium at the end. But for you here is a quick summary of the Imperium. The Milky Way is a hive of activity as it leaps forward in population and tech, everyone's very happy but they look down on Pegasus and Ida. Ida is a 'wretched hive of scum and villainy' that is barely controlled by the Pacis Arx and Imperium. Pegasus is plodding along slowly struggling to adapt to a Wraith-free universe. There is unrest for some unknown reason in the Irregular galaxy.

Sdarian: Thanks but that was only half the details the second half is this.

Senrab Nomis: Yeah he's too awesome for that. And no problem.

Lord of Murder: Thank you.

GBscientist: Within the British Empire Canada, like Australia and New Zealand, holds a fairly strong position. It was overlooked because after the initial explosion of growth the Empire spent most of its time consolidating the poorer countries while the better off ones just continued along upgrading themselves. With the troubles in Africa they have just been lumped in under the general heading of 'rest of the British Empire' by history at large. McKay has lost a lot of sentimentality for things like nationality. Why would he be interested in an arbitrary piece of land when he can create it again somewhere else for his personal amusement? He's no longer fully human so some human values don't quite stick.

MalSer: Thanks.

Some101: Cheers.

* * *

**Note: The Ascendancy counts in octal. So the dates and when they speak it's in octal. Which is a bitch to do I can tell you. I've worked the decimal numbering into the descriptions. Just to avoid confusion.**

**Okay, now I know some people are going to be a little disgruntled that this is just another 'flashback' chapter but I wanted to get the Ori Ascendancy up to speed properly rather than later it seeming like I'm just making things up out of thin air. Side note that I forgot to mention before; if this book were to have a theme it would be **_**Take a Bow **_**by Muse. **

**Sorry for the delay there were some… technical issues. Enjoy the chapter.**

* * *

**Heresy Through the Wormhole Part 1: This Impure World - In the Footsteps of Lucifer**

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**5****th**** Day in Prayers to the Sky, Fourth Crusade (1****st**** season of The Holy Crusade) / Imperial Year 1 – 590 / 25****th**** October 2005 Anno Domini, Terran Standard.**

* * *

"You have glimpsed the future. As have We all." The voice boomed with the power of eons.

"Yes." The reply was calmer but just as earth-shatteringly powerful.

"Then you agree!" A roar like a planet engulfed in flames followed the victorious shout.

"No. We cannot push the Second Evolution too far. The status quo must be maintained." The second voice replied firmly.

"You are a fool." The statement was followed by a billion murmurs of approval. "The Children of Altera move faster than We believed possible."

"I know." The response was quieter now, less powerful, as more of the flickering lights of consciousness sided with his opponent.

"In a single generation they will have advanced beyond Our own armies. That cannot be allowed to happen!" The victorious voice bellowed with a fury that had silenced stars. "We must strike now while there is still time."

"We have consensus." Rumbled the First One. "It is decided." The oldest and most powerful Ascended stated with a finality that doomed billions.

The Believer and the Doubter vanished back into the Sea of Souls mingling into the seething mass of power that was Ori. Their apparent animosity already forgotten. The Doci had gathered the Faithful and now they would arm them. With fiery weapons and invincible armours so that they could do battle with the Darkness. With mighty ships and proud vehicles to carry them to the far side of the universe and to war.

The First One drifted through the stillness of the Empyrean. Soon very soon, the First Crusade would finally be concluded. And the entire universe would look upon them and tremble. But it could wait a while longer; after all it had already waited sixty million years.

* * *

Six men, young and old, sat around a simple wooden table in plain wooden chairs. Their Empyrean Staffs were reverently placed in alcoves covered in holy script set into the wall behind the Doci. Their robes fluttered in the light breeze playing through the windowless balcony. Outside the town square, normally filled with yelling vendors and the laughter of the properly Ori-fearing populace, rang with the metallic pounding of hundreds of armoured feet.

"They shall burn! All of them!"

The Doci growled under his breath. The entire Feast for the Mountains had been spent conscripting the artisans and peasants of the Ascendancy. He, the first Doci to preside over a Crusade since the Plague of Disbelief some ten million seasons ago, already commanded an army of thirteen million souls. And they couldn't find a single man worthy of leading it.

"Thank you." He nodded to the Prior. "But we need strategies and tactics not just blind faith."

"Lord Doci that is HERESY!" One of the younger Prior shrieked, his already pale face losing the last vestiges of colour.

"It is not. The Ori themselves had said nothing less. The Great Enemy's evil knows no bounds. They can contort the very fabric of reality with their magicks and a ferocious army of billions awaits us. If we are even the tiniest bit unprepared we will be destroyed." He swept his arms wide taking in the beautiful view of Celestis and its glittering white halls. "And everything will be ash and dust."

Silence greeted his proclamation. Doci could see the unshakeable faith in the Ori and the unquestioning obedience of a Prior battling inside the members of his council. Several of the older Priors even looked physically ill.

"This Crusade will require a new breed of Prior. A Prior not only touched by the Ori but trained in arts of slaughter. We must ready our Warriors of Faith to be cruel and terrible, for they shall receive nothing less. We must build ships and vehicles of awe inspiring power and grace. We must master the most depraved and archaic of magicks. We will need all of this." He paused to look into the startled cloudy eyes of the other Priors. "But most importantly we will need our faith."

"Hallowed are the Ori." The room echoed with the monotone chant.

* * *

The Prior felt a rush of excitement race through him as he looked upon the brilliant white circle. A tremor ran through his feet as the great inner ring span at a startling pace stopping and starting at places only the Doci seemed to understand.

"My Lord…" His question died as a great torrent of water exploded out of the ring.

Stumbling backwards he automatically hardened the air in front of him and swung his Empyrean Staff trying to force the water away; only it didn't obey his Will. He and the other gathered Priors and few Humans, who had been necessary to operate the magicks of the large purring device in the corner, stared in wonder as the water receded in a terrifyingly unnatural way.

"Go. Go and bring back information about the Great Enemy." Doci commanded with a stern glance.

The Prior stepped through the wall of standing water without a moment's hesitation. The sensation was indescribable. It was like being made a Prior again, for a moment that seemed to stretch into forever he was outside reality and then it was over. The first thing he noticed was how cold it was.

A scream tore its way out of his throat in a cloud of red and white crystals as he tumbled away from the glowing circle of stone. An endless starfield spun lazily around him and a pristine green and blue world lounged below him. He was conscious just long enough to see the light from a star that no human from Orisounes had ever witnessed before his oxygen starved brain shut down.

Doci sighed in defeat as the terror filled mental anguish of the Prior finally ended.

"Another failure Lord Doci?" The lead Human asked, his skin blackened from a life time of working in a forge

"Indeed." Doci snapped back adding another Prior to the list of the Glorious Dead. They would need to change the way they were doing this.

"Okay next on the list!" The man called cheerfully to his subordinates. Immediately they sprang into action loading another of the canisters of contained lightning into the device they fretted over.

A moment later the device exploded into life again and another volunteer stepped through the Stargate.

* * *

**10****th**** Day in Return of the Gods, Fourth Crusade (2****nd**** season of The Holy Crusade) / Imperial Year 2 – 504 / 24****th**** September 2006 Anno Domini, Terran Standard.**

* * *

"A beautiful sight. The first of many that will carry the Light of Origin into the darkness."

Doci turned from the white and silver blot slowly rising into the sky to face the Prime Warprior. He was one of the most fanatical Priors that ever lived; a man who'd see Celestis burn if it meant winning. Just the kind of man to lead their genocidal Crusade. Although he held the title of Warprior, a commander of the Warriors of Faith, he was not truly a Battleprior. None of the Warpriors in the first wave would be true Battlepriors. The first of the Priors to be fully trained as killers were several seasons away and they could not afford the delay to train them as Warpriors as well.

"Yes. It reminds one of how small and insignificant we truly are." Doci replied as the shape of the Flagellant vanished amongst the clouds.

The thing known as a 'Frigate' was to accompany the 'Cruisers' and 'Motherships' into battle against the Great Enemy's Navy. Smaller versions of the Motherships at only a kilometre and a half with streamlined prows and unconnected swept back wings they were agile and deadly. Each one was crafted in the symbol of Origin like all Ascendancy ships. They were armed with Defenders which used modulated energy blasts to shatter solid matter. Their Source was suspended between the wings and small but powerful engines tipped each of the curved forms.

"Already a hundred worlds have increased their industrial output to match that of Celestis and reports indicate several more will follow in the coming season." The Prime Warprior continued resting his weight on the Light Bearer that had replaced his Staff.

The Doci's eyes glanced at the starfire weapon. The twin pronged symbol of Origin was already being produced by the thousands across Orisounes. Below them on the vast open plains another six Flagellant Frigate burst into life. The white glow of the Sources illuminating the night with its otherworldly light. Further away the shimmering furnaces of the construction yards burned brightly as their denizens built the second wave at a frantic pace.

"We shall be ready for our Holy Crusade in just over four seasons." The Prime Warprior continued smiling his grim and eager smile. "The Orihosts even now use their magicks to increase the potency of our weapons."

"You are still this eager? Even after the things the Priors have seen amongst the Great Enemy? They command an army hardened by war. They command magicks that belie belief. Their faith in this false-god is strong. And they are growing in numbers and power even now." He did not mention the things they had done. It was on both their minds. More Priors had been lost to the insane aggression of this 'Imperial Cult' than anything else. Many times only the robes and Empyrean Staff, and on one occasion the skin, were recovered from a Prior that tried to convert or infiltrate the wrong populace.

"The thought of retribution spurs me on." The Prime Warprior replied nodding happily. "I shall lead our armies to glory and slaughter."

"Indeed. I want more information and advantages." Doci stated moving back into the temple. "Tell the Seers to contact the Priors in the Milky Way. Begin manoeuvring their society towards collapse."

"As the Ori will." The Prime Warprior replied, staying to watch the first of the four kilometre Iconoclast Cruisers punch its way through the air towards the stars.

* * *

She ran through the forests following the light that streaked through the sky. It had been two long years since she had been left to die on this forsaken rock. The ragged remains of the clothes she had been wearing when They came for her barely enough to keep the freezing cold of this world at bay. The daily struggle against the elements and animals had left her strong and sharpened her will to a single point. Vengeance. Somehow, some way she would have her revenge.

Vashin shifted uncomfortable as the stranger walked, more like glided, through the cargo bay. It was unnatural the way he moved; as if the world was afraid to touch him. The only sound of his passing the tap, tap of the simple wooden staff. And those eyes. Those accursed milky white eyes that burned deep into his soul. He shivered involuntarily as the man walked past and he swore a ghost of a smile drifted across the pale lips of their passenger.

The anti-gravity engines wined as the Tel'tak pulled up and began a leisurely flyby of the thick forest below.

"You sure? This place isn't even inhabited." Worrel asked from the control of the Tel'tak. For some reason Netan had sent him along with the stranger. Almost subconsciously his hand moved towards his pistol when the strangers gaze met his own.

"Trust the Ori." The hooded man replied with a voice like silk.

"Whatever." Worrel grumbled. They were both getting tired of the incessant muttering about Origin and the Ori. Whatever that was. But they didn't dare argue with the man, not after what he did to that Jaffa.

The stains still hadn't come out of the walls.

The Tel'tak's engines died away as it settled in a clearing probably used by some long dead smuggler during the glory days of the Goa'uld Empire. Vashin jumped out of the hatch his Lasgun sweeping the treeline for movement. He didn't even see the woman until she had her makeshift stone dagger buried in his body armour. With a curse he tried to pull out his own knife but an inhumanly strong hand shot out and pinned his arm to the ground. Matted black hair shielded the woman's face and her bones showed through leathery skin. Vashin managed a gurgling cry before the woman was simply gone.

Worrel was halfway out of the cargo ship his Tau'ri made M16 in hand. He stopped and stared in disbelief as the stranger motioned gently with his hand and the woman fell from the air. He noticed Vashin gingerly pulling on a stone knife in his shoulder and moved to help.

She was on her feet the moment she hit the ground and charged the biggest threat. The pale man simply gestured again and she slammed into one of the huge trees, her shoulder popping loose. With a strangled, pain filled cry she charged again and this time the robed figure taped his staff lightly on the ground. With a thump she was forced into the ground by an invisible weight. She struggled futilely for a moment desperate to get free and get off this rock.

"Good." The voice of the pale man was soft and seemed to whisper from the earth itself. "Such passion and fury. Such a desire for vengeance." The weight lifted and she pulled herself into a wary crouch.

Worrel got his first good look at the woman now. A colouring similar to those from the territories of Lord Yu but the most terrifying eyes he had ever seen. Not even Netan at his most furious matched her cold hatred. She might have been pretty once, maybe even beautiful, but now the elements had drained all that away leaving behind a skeletal wreck.

"I'll kill you bitch!" Vashin shouted swinging his Lasgun around to blow the woman's head off. There was a clap of thunder.

"No you will not." The stranger murmured lowering his hand. Worrel rubbed the blood from his face and just stared at the mangled mess of Vashin's hand. "Come with me."

The woman tilted her head in confusion. "Why?" She croaked, her voice harsh from lack of use.

"You have knowledge and skills that will be useful in the coming Crusade." The Prior answered turning back into the Tel'tak.

"So?" The woman asked, creeping forward with a wary eye on the unconscious Vashin and shell-shocked Worrel.

The Prior half turned and an unnatural wind fluttered through his robes. "You will serve the Ori and we shall grant you your heart's desire." And then she stepped into the warmth and light of the Tel'tak.

* * *

**21****st**** Day in Feast for the Greatly Revered Ones, Fourth Crusade (3****rd**** season of The Holy Crusade) / Imperial Year 3 – 900 / 2****nd**** Febuary 2008 Anno Domini, Terran Standard.**

* * *

Gerak nodded his head, his dark wrinkled skin creasing even more as the truth that had been revealed to him chased itself around and around inside his mind. Outside the nightlife of Truskate was beginning to get into full swing the sights and sounds of a culture not his own washed over the old Jaffa.

"And you are sure of this?" He asked hovering on the edge of heresy.

"Yes." The robed man replied smiling his gentle, disarming smile. "The Darkness in the Tau'ri will destroy you all. And only you can save them." The Prior continued playing off the Jaffa's pride and ego as he implanted subtle suggestions.

"Yes, yes I must. For the good of all Jaffa. I always knew the Tau'ri would be the doom of us all." The Planetary Governor muttered to himself; so lost in thought he missed the Prior's victorious smile.

"We have already convinced others. System General Arkad and his Legions await you. Netan and his Alliance will follow if you raise the banners of your defiance." Of course he neglected to mention they had all been promised dominion over each other.

"What must I do?" Gerak demanded, walking round from behind his desk.

"Simple. Close your eyes and I will do the rest." Flames licked around the hem of the Priors robes as he placed a hand on Gerak's shoulder.

The unquenchable fires that engulfed the Governor's building lasted for six days and nights. They burned the Imperial building to the ground but never spread into the city.

* * *

Arkad laughed manically as he threw the screaming child from the roof of the burning manufactorium. The little bundle of flailing limbs and terrified screams plummeted into the seething mass of his Legions below. With a cry bordering on ecstasy he fired his Lasgun wildly into the crowd, blowing holes in civilian and traitor alike. Delmak, the Forge World they had been sent to capture, was in flames and none of them cared.

"More! More! MORE!" Screamed the traitor Legionnaires over the roar of flames and the sharp cracks of Las. "These are the Words of the Beast! He is the heart that beats in the darkness! He is the blood that will never cease! And He shall RISE!" Screams and laughter and the sounds of destruction mingled together into a symphony of agony.

It had begun simply enough. On the day of their revolt Gerak had received orders through the Seers to secure an Imperial Forge World. The new Prior had said that the Ascendancy and the True Human Empire needed to capture as much of the Imperium's technology as it could. The initial assault had gone well the first two Legions, a million fighting soldiers, had poured forth from the Stargate. Within a single hour they had secured the planetary capital and most of the major manufactoriums. Arkad had been bursting with pride as Prior-Gerak informed him of the Ori's pleasure. Promises of power and wealth spilled from Gerak's mouth trapping Arkad ever deeper in the machinations of the Ori. The First Prime turned System General had been so fixated on the new wealth and status he had not noticed the slow drop in temperature. He was snapped out of his daydreams when the room's lights began to flicker.

"Arkad." Gerak hissed, his head snapping to the side unnaturally quick.

The System General's breath caught in his throat as ink seemed to swirl and spread across the Prior's eyes until they were darker than space. Smiling with too many teeth the ex-Jaffa beckoned Arkad forward.

"He will awaken." The man-thing hissed placing a painfully hot hand on Arkad's face. "And you shall worship Him."

The Daemon smiled its inhuman smile again. And then the bloodlust took him.

It swept through the traitor Legions like a plague. All one million of them became crazed fanatics only interested in slaughter and death. Within two hours of Gerak's possession the Legionnaires turned upon the populace of Delmak intend on their complete extermination.

Space around the Daemonhost bend and twisted as the Warp creature expressed its pleasure. The flailing legs of the old woman it had just swallowed whole vanished down its gullet. The muted and broken whimpering of the two children cowering on the floor behind the eviscerated bodies of their parents was the most beautiful music it had ever heard. A sharp bark, like pieces of rusted metal rubbing together, spilled from the things mouth as it raised its Empyrean Staff ready to summon another of its kind into the body of the girl. The boy would make a good first meal. Its head turned around so fast the flimsy bone and cartilage tube of the host body snapped like a twig. Something was wrong.

A pillar of flames burned hundreds to death and the very planet itself seemed to tremble. Out of the conflagration stepped the pale form of the Prior that had tempted Gerak.

"What is the meaning of this?" The Prior snarled, no longer smiling.

Many of the traitors around the man touched by the Ori collapsed to the ground unconscious, screaming or vomiting. Some all at once. The Prior took a powerful step forward and the bubble of sudden silence expanded outwards bringing more and more of the blood crazed Legionnaires to heel.

"Answer me." He growled, looking at the mounds of decapitated bodies and the burning piles of heads. Blood flowed through the streets like a river and most of the city was engulfed in fire.

"Ah. Another little child-Psyker. So very far from home." A voice trickled through the Prior's mind like tar. Giggling echoed from the burning buildings. "I'm going to enjoy devouring your soul."

A wave of hatred assaulted the Prior before he pushed it back with his Will. "Back to the Pit!" The Prior shouted, slamming his Empyrean Staff into the ground. A wave of cool and clear light spread outwards flinging aside those still caught in their bloodlust and extinguishing many of the fires.

The Daemon screamed in pain and fury as the power of the Ori seared it from existence. But a tiny part of itself rejoiced at the mass bloodshed and the knowledge that He would rise. With a half formed bellow of victory the Daemon was torn apart.

"Arkad." A voice snapped inside the traitor General's skull. The Jaffa spun around looking for the source of the noise. "Take your fools and board the ships at these coordinates. Make sure all your Legions are aboard. We will discuss this failure later." Arkad swallowed heavily and winced as knowledge of a Valhalla Battlecruiser and two Sageris Cruisers slid into his mind a little more harshly than necessary.

* * *

The Tel'tak drifted through space, its engines so low they were indistinguishable from the noise of the universe's creation. The crew, fools who would do anything for the promise of Naquadah, were slumped over their controls the jagged gashed in their necks still dripping blood. Outside a blue planet comprised almost wholly of gas spun perpendicular to the system and the insipid light of distant Sol played over the Tel'tak's golden interior. A man, pale skinned and proud, strode through the little vessel into the cargo bay were the six Warriors of Faith awaited. He was one of the hundreds turned in the last season; young and fit he had been given the honour of this mission. A mission so daring it had taken an entire season to plan and enact.

Each of the Warriors was clad in full the Vestments of Devotion. The silvery metal plates that covered the entire body reflected the light like a mirror. The helmets that covered their scalps and eyes gave them a fearsome appearance and were made of the same metal with brass inlayed around the eyes. The Ori, in their wisdom, had given the artisans new kinds of metals and new forging techniques with which to craft the armour. It was a testament to their divinity that they could take charred wood and a useless grey slag that washed down from the mountains and make steel even harder with them. The Las weapons and other foul magicks of the Imperials would be no match for the Vestments; the Doci had proclaimed it.

"When you began the Journey you took an oath." The Prior began the Writ of the Dead, to his side the lid of the single crate slid off revealing the long twin pronged shapes of their Light Bearers.

"On the blood of our ancestors. On the blood of our sons." The six men resounded strong and resolute. The Prior fought back a smile of pride.

"You shall spread the Light of Origin." The Prior continued bowing his head as the first Warrior came forward.

"Even to our dying breath." They replied each taking a Light Bearer and Incarcerator. The stunning devices snapped into place on their wrist mounts.

"Those souls, who suffer their righteousness, will know their eternal inheritance." The Prior stated, looking each of them in the eye. The eyes of men who had accepted their deaths stared back.

"To walk beside the Gods in Ascension." The men rumbled, slamming the tips of their Light Bearers into the hull twice. The sound rolled like thunder in the cargo bay.

"So be it." The Prior finished, his voice unnaturally loud in the silence. Then they were all engulfed by flames.

It was the start of a warm and dry spring day. In a small, out of the way, hamlet the residents of an unassuming bungalow began to rouse. The NID safe house had been in use for three and a half years and no one had ever been able to figure out why. The nine guards that had been automatically assigned took up the same positions they always did; nodding to their friends and running through the same old tasks.

"You going to see that waitress again?" The large suited man sitting at the door asked as two of the NID agents approached.

The leading agent rolled her eyes while the other grinned. A response was half way out his mouth when the door exploded. A ball of blue energy hurtled through the smouldering splinters and took the seated agent in the side with the distinctive thump of plasma on flesh. Half the man flash boiled leaving behind a horribly charred corpse and a blackened hole in the wall. Another two plasma blast took out both of the stunned NID agents leaving little more than piles of vaguely related scorched viscera.

"What!" A fourth agent shouted as she stumbled into the hallway.

The Prior, halfway towards his target, waved a dismissive hand at her. A loud snap emanated from the woman and she collapsed to the ground a section of her spine jutting out in the wrong direction. The loud thumping of the Imperial projectile weapons filled the house as the five remaining agents opened up on the Prior. The robbed man tapped his staff on the ground, its crystal glowing with ethereal light, and raised his hand exerting his Will upon the world. The spent bullets rattled like rain as they clattered to the ground a full meter away from the Prior and his Warriors.

"Kill them." He muttered as the fools struggled to reload their ungainly weapons.

The air sang with plasma. In the blink of an eye the five Terrans were replaced with a burning wall. Smiling as the heat of the flames washed over him the Prior gestured at the wall. The plaster and bricks shattered like glass and a medium sized metal box groaned as it was dragged out of its hiding place. The metal, simple steel, peeled open like foil at the Prior's command and a Warrior reached in and pulled out the simple beaten skin box. The black case rattled as its contents shifted for the first time in three years. Flames licked around the Warriors but they didn't feel the heat, the Vestments more than a match for a simple house fire.

"We leave." The Prior commanded, slightly relieved that their foray into enemy territory had been so successful. The Warriors swiftly formed a defensive circle around the Prior and one of them took a small blue metal ball from his waist.

"Purity in flames." He muttered as he pressed the indent and dropped the metal device. The seven followers of Origin vanished in a pillar of flames a second before the Fulgora detonated. The grenade discharged sending forks and arcs of lightning running across the former safe house igniting everything the plasma had not. By the time the Terran authorities arrived they found only smouldering ruins and charred bodies.

* * *

"You are a fool!" The Prior's voice boomed like thunder shaking the Plasteel bulkheads with it fury. "Falling under a spell so easily. What manner of warrior are you?"

"But…" Arkad pleaded. Gerak was still unconscious so the burden of leadership had fallen to him; and he was enjoying it a lot less than he imagined.

"No buts." The Prior snarled. "At least we have distracted the Great Enemy enough for the mission to succeed." He nodded judiciously slipping deeper into the command throne of the Valhalla Battlecruiser.

"What mission?" Arkad demanded, fear replaced with indignation at being someone's pawn.

The Prior smiled but it was no longer the kind gentle smile Arkad had become used too. It was cold and ruthless with the promise of pain and death to all who opposed. "It is all part of the greater plan."

Arkad scowled his thoughts filled with murder and revenge as the Prior began explaining their assault on the backwater world Castiana. It would be a long time before they recovered from the debacle on Delmak.

* * *

The muted whispering and sharp, almost hysterical, howls of laughter were all he needed to locate his quarry. This piece of the temple had once been a display of the artisans' finest work. Galleries displaying tens of millions of years of painstaking work had been emptied and replaced with great forges and foundries. It was here the Orihosts were made and here they created weapons of starfire and humming machines of magick that defied the natural order of things. It was here, also, where his pet project toiled in the half darkness.

It was his idea. One of the few original things the Humans and Priors of the Ascendancy were contributing to the Holy Crusade. The Ori had agreed but it shook him down to his very soul that they had not considered it. But he had. He had seen the need for warrior that could face those towers of black metal. The need for warriors who were more than men. The need for warriors who could stop those soldiers of the golden god. Even now that image of that man terrified him on a level he didn't quite understand.

"Doci." The voice was a raspy hiss layered a hundred times over with different tones. An Orihost melted from the shadows in front of the Doci.

He fought down the impulse to take a step backwards in revulsion. The Orihosts were hideous things; encased in the Flames of Enlightenment the body of the Prior slowly burned away until all that was left was bleached bones and that dark light that shone from their eyes. The one before him was midway through the transformation. Fat bubbled and hissed under the few ragged remains of the Prior's robes muscle showed through charred holes in the skin and the bones of the skull were bared all along the cranium and jaws. The stench was powerful enough to even overcome the stink of sulphur that lingered in the air.

"You shall receive stronger weapons. So we have decreed." The Ori whispered through the possessed Prior. The Doci nodded tightly before hurrying past trying not to stare at the Orihost's gently boiling eyes.

The door into the thing she called a 'laboratory' was heavily reinforced. The Priors said it was to keep her in, she said it was to keep everyone else out. Most of the Faithful stayed away from the place; they found the idea of tampering with the very essence of life repulsive.

"Oh! The atrocities you will commit." Cooed a female voice from within, he shuddered at the pure glee in the voice as he Willed the door to open.

Her frame had filled out again how that she could have more than one warm meal a week but the ravages of her two year imprisonment would never truly leave. Doctor Mara Valdis; former rouge NID agent, one of a handful to ever survive retribution from the Sons of Sol and the only person outside the Adeptus Astartes who had the first clue how they functioned. She was bent over a strange metal and glass contraption muttering to herself as she poked at tiny dots of colour on a glass slide. Spread across the many tables was the contents of the skin case she had begged him to retrieve. Papers covered in scribbles and numbers and pictures of things that looked like little more than lumps of meat adorned every surface; and a thing the Orihosts had given her called a 'computer' groaned in the corner as it expended its captured lightning power source on whatever bizarre magick she used it for.

"Are you any closer to completing them?" The Doci asked, carefully gliding into the room. The last time someone had spilled something it had melted straight through their arm.

The woman turned to face him and smiled in a distinctly unhinged way. "It would go faster if Belenos, Gerra and Ishum would build me the things I ask for."

Doci bristled at the make-believe names for the three Orihosts that currently haunted the forges. They had refused many times to build her a 'gene sequencer' and a 'electron microscope' and a 'time dilation device' and a 'clone tank' and a multitude of other outlandish things that confused the other artisans and made little to no sense to him.

"I'll see what I can do." Doci replied gently. They needed her and every day she got closer to unlocking the secrets of the Glasya-Labolas – the Space Marines – the better.

* * *

**17****th**** Day in Festival of Holy Light, Fourth Crusade (3****rd**** season of The Holy Crusade) / Imperial Year 4 – 042 / 12****th**** April 2008 Anno Domini, Terran Standard.**

* * *

The Halo station exploded as a volley of Drones tore through its plasma cores. The Systems two Assailant Frigates had been run down and torn apart by the extremely powerful Plasma Lance broadsides of the Sageris Cruisers. Railgun fire streaked through space taking out the few Marauders and Prowlers that had made it off the Halo before it was destroyed. The entire fighter screen of the planet below was streaking up to meet them. An impressive amount for such a backwater planet two Wings, twenty fighters, apiece of the I-301s.

"Prepare for landing." Gerak ordered, his voice strained. He had finally recovered but the ordeal had left its marks upon the Prior. His skin was much darker ranging towards the absolute black of space, his nails had become sharp and pointed and the distinct smell of blood followed him everywhere. The Prior stood behind him an unconcerned smile on his face but Arkad knew he would strike them all down in an instant.

"Yes Prior." One of the hastily created Bridge Officers, a Second Lieutenant, replied.

Lascannon blasts and a torrent of Railgun shells bounced harmlessly off the Void shield as the Valhalla descended into Castiana's upper atmosphere. Above it the two Sageris Cruisers swatted down the I-301s with ease, the fighters' weapon too weak and not concentrated enough to penetrate the capital ships' Void shields.

"Fire." Gerak hissed, his claws digging into the wood of his Empyrean Staff as another wave of pain assaulted him.

* * *

Captain O'Neill sprang from his ambush point the Intar, shaped like a P-90, launching red bolts at his targets. The Jaffa of the so called Throne Guard, the newly formed and impromptu group of elite Jaffa, threw themselves into cover with a swiftness that truly did credit to their enhanced physique. The first three fell unconscious to the ground as O'Neill's scything fire cut through their Platoon.

"There is but one Truth! Death is only the beginning!" O'Neill winced as the Agimen dropped from their hidden positions screaming their battle cry.

Sporadic fire from the Lasgun shaped Intars rippled through the Throne Guard felling several. The Jaffa unleashed a superbly aimed volley before they abandoned their firing positions to meet the Agimen. Almost a full Squad of the Agimen collapsed to the ground as the Intar bolts took them in the chest or head. With a howl that O'Neill still found disturbing they threw themselves forward drawing their Neuknifes. The silvery half meter long tooth could punch through Power Armour and were kept as sharp as any monomolecular blade through the simple act of drawing them. Advancing slowly firing from the hip the Platoon of Throne Guard whittled down the Agimen to less than a Squad.

"As the Emperor wills it!" Boomed the Jaffa as they smashed into the Agimen. "So shall it be!"

Within moments the training exercise dissolved into a brawl as the Agimens' insane training allowed them to match up to the more numerous and stronger Jaffa.

"This is O'Neill." He muttered into his comm-bead. "All forces stand down and regroup at Outpost Nine." With a swift kick to a Jaffa that had been attempting to charge him he sighed and fired into the air.

"Sir!" The two sides snapped apart.

"We're heading back. Carry the wounded." O'Neill ordered, turning away from the two sides as they started to glare at one another again.

Agimen and Throne Guard just didn't mix. The rigid discipline and dogma of the elite Jaffa was an anathema to the carefree and irresponsible attitudes of the Agimen. The only thing the two agreed on was the pursuit of martial perfection.

Outpost Nine was a pre-fab building someone, probably his original self, had decided to dump on top of a mountain. The fact that it had 'Fortress of Doom' stencilled on the main door was all the evidence Captain O'Neill needed. It was currently home to Alpha Company, I Battalion, of the Khione 1st Regiment and Gamma Company, III Battalion, of Throne Guard 1st Regiment.

"Okay what did we learn today?" O'Neill asked the room of two hundred Legionnaires.

"Jaffa taste good." An Agiman woman quipped smiling at him. The red stains around her mouth left little to the imagination. A wave of laughter rippled through the room much to the aggravation of the Jaffa.

"Good for you." O'Neill mumbled. He knew better than to try and explain things to the Agimen. They were terrifying fighters but by the Emperor they were naïve. "Anything else?" Before anyone could answer his comm-bead hissed for his attention.

"Yes." He said waving at the two Companies for silence.

"Captain O'Neill. We've got a situation." By the sound of Colonel Young's voice it was extremely serious. The young Captain swiftly moved outside onto one of the Outposts observation decks. "The Halo station just went dark and our Auspexes are detecting explosions and debris in the upper atmosphere. The Governor has already launched all the I-301s but I want you on standby."

"Who would attack this dirt ball? Its barley even an Agri-World." O'Neill wondered aloud pacing the metal gantry.

"I don't know but…" O'Neill missed the rest of the sentence as a bright undulating line of yellow streamed across the sky.

"Sir! You've got inbound on your position, looks like Drones!" He shouted into the comm-bead.

Before he heard an answer an explosion lit up the sky as hundreds of Drones smashed into the capital. His hand fell away from the comm-bead as static and frantic shouts filtered through the little Vox.

The babbling of multiple conversations washed over him as he re-entered the room. The two sides had separated to a different end of the room but he had no time for that. "Shut up!" He shouted and the room was suddenly deathly silent. "Ditch your Intars and load up for an extended stay in the wilds. This is no longer a training exercise. We are going live fire against extremely hostile targets. If it's not part of the exercise shoot to kill!"

Gerak smiled as the planetary capital was reduced to ruins in a single volley. Already the first wave had been beamed down, any moment now the Vox relay would be deployed and news of the ground situation would follow.

"Message incoming." Gerak settled into the command throne ready to hear the news of his success.

"This is Nerkul! We are under attack! Hel…" The transmission was abruptly ended by the roar of an explosion.

"Prepare to fire on that position." Gerak ordered snarling as fingers of fire wrapped around his heart.

"No." The Prior rumbled, his cloudy eyes closed in concentration. "You must land more men and overwhelmed the Imperial resistance. There is a great prise on that world. I should not have even let you fire upon that city."

"As the Ori will." Gerak responded robotically and sent more of his followers to their deaths.

They were the ninth Company to be sent into this region of the mountains. Already a Cohort had been slaughter in the first hours of fighting and whoever they were fighting showed no signs of slowing down. Las-fire streaked through the rear Platoon blowing cauterised holes in everything it touched. Frantic screams were silenced abruptly as a second volley finished off the wounded. The leading Platoon turned to fire on their attackers only for two plasma mines to detonate tearing them and the second Platoon apart.

"Retreat!" Bellowed the Vox amplified voice of one of the remaining Officers. He died a moment later when a Long-Las blew his head apart.

As the Officers were systematically picked off the traitors began to panic and rush for exit to this death trap. Above them two muscular Jaffa pushed on a boulder. The rock slide slammed into the fleeing traitors burying most of them under stone and earth.

"We surrender!" Of the two hundred men only ten were left. They threw down their weapons and slowly huddled together; frightened and bloody.

High above the O'Neill looked down through binoculars. "Mercy is for the weak." He mumbled; traitors were to be destroyed lest the rot spread. Or so the Space Marines claimed.

A Heavy Bolter opened up on the huddled ex-I.G.L. tearing through their thin Flack Armour and flesh. The explosive bolts spraying the ravine with their innards. A contact icon flashed across his dataslate as another of the roaming Companies came across a True Human Empire patrol. O'Neill nodded tightly and signalled for them to move onwards; quieter than death the Agimen melted into the rock faces and the Throne Guard vanished into the foliage until it seemed that only he remained.

Arkad ground his teeth together in silent fury as another vast list, all in red, popped up on holo-tank. Half a Legion, thirty thousand Legionnairs, wiped out in an instant. He could see the smoke from the plasma detonation in orbit. Whoever was coordinating the resistance was good. Very good. The former First Prime leaned in closer as a map flickered into life showing the contacts with the Imperials. He knew these tactics. A lightning fast raid here, a series of sabotages, dug in defenders that vanished like ghosts and the few times they had made a solid engagement the enemy had been rapidly and massively reinforced. This was Tau'ri work. This was SG work. Arkad swallowed heavily.

It was the secret fear of nearly every Jaffa to face the Tau'ri. Somehow they had slaughtered armies of Jaffa, wiped out fleets of Ha'tak and even brought the gods themselves low. They did what no one else could, and it was terrifying. Even now he didn't truly believe that the Goa'uld had been so utterly ruined by those backwater fools.

"Your Legions are not what you made them out to be." Arkad snarled at the Prior's mocking tone.

"If you would let us use the ship's weapons then this would be over." Arkad snapped back, he deeply enjoyed the small frown that creased that slightly wrong shaped face.

"It matters not. Netan will arrive momentarily. I am sure the Lucian Alliance will be more competent." The robed man replied briskly before gliding away. Arkad simply ground his teeth and returned to studying the holo-tank.

A night of slaughter followed as the traitors were systematically eliminated. One full Legion, half a million soldiers, died under the guns, knives and fists of force one two hundred and fiftieth their size.

"Drive me closer!" O'Neill bellowed over the roar of the Maelstrom Battle Tank. The twin Burst Cannons swivelled back and forth sending a constant stream of Pulse blasts at the traitors. During the night they had managed to 'persuade' the tanks former owners to part with it; indefinitely.

The Long Sword to his right opened up with its Railgun the streaks of yellow light tracing a perfect line through a traitor Leman Russ. An Alkesh screamed past overhead raining plasma down on their flanks before a krak missile struck its underbelly sending the craft spiralling into the ground.

"Push them back!" O'Neill roared as the Agimen and Throne Guard streamed past into the ruins of the capital.

Gerak bit back a curse as the second Sageris Cruiser flashed out of existence and one of Netan's Ha'tak was pulverised by a Battleship. A trio of Destroyers screamed past their Plasma Lances shining like miniature stars as they drilled into the Valhalla's Fleet Shield. Above them an Orilla fired on the planet, its Plasma Lances tearing a black strip into Castiana and their routed forces.

"We leave." The Prior ground out. There was only five Priors left in the entire Imperium, including himself and they all had reported the Imperium was mobilizing more and more troops after them. The converted had done far too poorly to match up against an even larger force.

"But what about my men?" Netan demanded, ignoring Arkad and his Legions altogether.

"They will be remembered." The Prior muttered before he turned to Gerak. "We leave."

"Full retreat." The converted Jaffa ordered. The Valhalla and two Ha'tak vanished into hyperspace a moment later. Gerak and Netan didn't survive two months on their own; but the Prior who had abandoned them to their fate managed to take many of the more useful subjects of the True Human Empire to the Ida Restoration Colonies. And there he began anew.

* * *

**4****th**** Day in Raising the Banners, Fourth Crusade (3****rd**** season of The Holy Crusade) / Imperial Year 4 – 371 / 12****th**** August 2008 Anno Domini, Terran Standard.**

* * *

"The Gods will punish you!" The markings on his forehead burned as he tried to call forth his Will and the hideous scribbles on the walls tortured his eyes.

"Silly man." A woman who might have been pretty if it were not for the scarred patterns that adorned her cheeks chided. "There is only God and He is on our side."

"Leave him alone. The Taskforce is approaching." A revolting figure of a man who had his lips and eyelids removed commanded. "This is the last ritual the Deathless Prince demands and we will not fail because you needed to taunt something." He continued his lidless eyes somehow conveying a glare at the scarred woman.

"Fine." The woman sighed and took her place in the circle with the other eight Humans.

The Prior struggled against his bonds and once again tried to Will these lunatics to death. All that brought him was pain. A rumbling chant had been taken up by the eight Humans. Words and sounds spilled from their mouths that seemed impossible and he felt the light of the Ori recede from his mind for the first time since his rebirth as a Prior. The Humans began to sway with the rhythm of their chant and the symbols on the walls seemed to vibrate and quiver.

The eyelid-less man strode forward a wickedly serrated blade in his hands. "We dedicate these mortals as sacrifices to the Sleeping God." He brought the knife down in a single motion.

White hot pain exploded down the Prior's chest as his robes fell away to expose the crimson line that had opened up from his neck to his groin. The mutilated man returned to his position and the chant began to increase in tempo.

"To walk beside the Gods in Ascension." The Prior muttered as the blood that pulsed from his wound began to flow into the air.

As if gravity had reversed droplets and rivulets of blood flowed upwards. Flowing in a complex pattern that seemed to have four dimensions and a billion interconnected faces the blood began to coalesce into a rippling sphere. Ripples that began a million years ago and flowed in nine dimensions played across the perfect surface.

"For Him." The scarred woman intoned as she plunged a knife into her own neck. The other seven copied her an instant later. The rivers of blood flowed into the air to join the floating sphere and the Prior felt something terrible settle over him. He could see the churning of the Empyrean swell around the small ship and a dark hand reached out towards him. An eternity flashed past in a moment as something engulfed him and all he could do was shriek in agony as things beyond his comprehension fed upon his soul.

A moment later the 11th Lantean Taskforce passed the Tel'tak in hyperspace and the cargo ship's rigged hyperdrive sent it hurtling after the Imperial fleet. The Taskforce Commander just had time to note the way the kaleidoscope of hyperspace bent before a maw of darkness swallowed his entire command.

* * *

**11****th**** Day in Sweeping and Cleaning, Fourth Crusade (4****th**** season of The Holy Crusade) / Imperial Year 5 – 006 / 30****th**** March 2009 Anno Domini, Terran Standard.**

* * *

The pool was filled with a viscous green liquid, the lights were dimmed for some unknown reason and the stench was overpowering. He sneered slightly at the perversions Mara and her magicks had wrought upon the world. Bubbles constantly broke the surface and beside him Mara was excitedly chewing no her nails. The Doci glanced back to the tank as the woman began muttering to herself. A hand broke the surface, Doci took a slight step back when green and blue sparks were launched into the air, another followed it this time clasping firmly onto the side of the pool. With a groan that echoed in his mind rather than the air the Doci watched as a lean and powerful body pulled itself free of the ooze.

"Isn't he beautiful!" Mara shouted as the creature took an unsteady step out of its stone womb.

The Doci frowned at the creature. His mental probe was brushed aside with contemptuous ease and its soul shone almost as bright as his own. As the green liquid began to drip away he noticed deviations in the creature's form. Small black protrusions jutted out form its forearms and shins, the ribs seemed to be composed of interlocking plates of bone, its muscles were huge bulky things that flexed like steel wires, it was almost double his height, when its eyes caught the light faint light they flickered and glowed like an animals and strange holes penetrated the things back the length of its spine. The creature sniffed the air like a beast and snarled only to reveal a mouth of long fangs and predator's teeth.

"Is it capable of fighting?" Doci demanded.

"Of course!" Mara snapped feigning insult at the Doci's question. She turned to the creature who was watching them with eyes far too intelligent for Doci's liking. "Unit 000 destroy that wall."

The creature blinked as it followed her outstretched finger to the wall and back. Then without warning it launched a tongue of white fire from its hand. The incandescent stream hit the stones and vaporised them with a mighty crack.

"Very good." Mara praised with all the sweetness of a doting mother. The creature made a gurgling sound but the Doci felt the wave of pleasure filter through his mind.

The leader of the Ascendancy looked to the still burning stones and back to the thing Mara had created and smiled a ruthless smile.

"Make me an army. Arm them with the finest weapons and the strongest armours. Clad them in the mightiest of the Orihosts' magicks. All the artisans of the Ascendancy are at your command. Just make me an army." Doci commanded as he extinguished the flames with a burst of his Will and this time it was Mara Valdis's turn to smirk.

* * *

**6****th**** Day in Ceasing of Water, Fourth Crusade (5****th**** season of The Holy Crusade) / Imperial Year 5 – 632 / 26****th**** October 2009 Anno Domini, Terran Standard.**

* * *

It was hopeless. For the last season he had received nothing from the Seers and the pitiful few of the True Human Empire he had bothered to save had once again failed him. Somehow the Imperium had learned of his existence and his connection to the Order. It mattered little his final orders had still been completed.

The fighting had lasted for several days. Nothing spectacular had happened; the Order was armed with older armour, weapons and poorly trained fanatics. Against the unstoppable power of the Imperium they could do little more than die. The Order of Sanctified Light had fallen. There was no doubt about that. A handful of the truly Faithful had been taken out of harm's reach by the Federation and there they would build the forward base for the Holy Crusade. It was a shame he would never get to see it. But he must make sure that these weak minded fools didn't betray everything.

"O'Neill! O'Neill! O'Neill! O'Neill!" The Prior looked up from the maps as the chanting echoed through the war torn city of Eden.

"He is here? The Supreme Commander is here?" One of the Order's leading cultists was going into hysterics.

"No. Not the Supreme Commander. It's the other one." The Prior responded smiling grimly, maybe he would be able to kill his old foe. He sneered as a line of holes tore themselves into the walls around him. The cultists cowered on the floor as a barrage of Railrifle fire rippled through the building. He could feel several Order souls vanish into the Empyrean.

"We can't win this! We can't! What should we do?" The cultists whined as the sound of fighting drew ever closer.

"What can you do?" The Prior mumbled in disgust. "I showed you the Light and all you cared for was your own personal gain. I have saved the Faithful. But you shall all burn!" The Prior boomed as he slammed his Empyrean Staff into the ground.

Flames a horrid black in colour exploded from the Psyker. The torrent of Warp spawned power flooded through the Order's base incinerating everything it touched. Hundreds of cultists died even as the fought to defend the Order of Sanctified Light. The fire spread outwards licking at the walls of surrounding buildings and melting through their Plasteel and rockcrete with a sickening ease.

Cerberus touched his hand to his ear beside him the other Marines relaxed. "Brother-Captain. Our fears were correct it was the same kind of Psyker as Gerak. I believe he has destroyed himself and all the remaining cultists. There is no hope of recovering any more information. I think we should be more careful when we move against the Covenant."

On the other side of the universe the soul of a long lost Prior finally found its way home. Instantly he was consumed by the Ori his knowledge analysed and distributed. Through his sacrifices and determination the Ascendancy had gained a great advantage. As a reward he was given the keys to the Sea of Souls and transformed into an Ascended.

* * *

**30****th**** Day in Perforation of the Land, Fourth Crusade (6****th**** season of The Holy Crusade) / Imperial Year 6 – 844 / 21****st**** December 2010 Anno Domini, Terran Standard.**

* * *

It was finally done the Orihosts had perfected their tools of war. All that remained was to train and forge enough men and weapons to fight the Holy Crusade. Doci sat in the throne of the Celestial Heart on-board _Faith and Reclamation_. The Dominator Mothership was to be the Flagship of the Crusade Fleet a mighty six kilometre long vessel. Shaped as a massive symbol of Origin the Dominator Motherships had a thick flat front with two tapered back wings that joined up again at the very stern of the Mothership. The Source pulsed and glowed in the centre of the ship just behind the main section is ghostly light surrounding the ship like a halo. The dish like projector for the Fire of Hate was on the very bottom of the ship's face, to either side there were four starfire launchers; each capable of throwing a bolt of fiery death. Mounted across the expansive ship were Defender emplacements the modulated energy blast capable of destroying an Imperial Frigate.

"Fire." Doci mumbled, letting the innate magicks of the vessel spring into action. An instant later a beam of light that looked like blue fire reached out from the Dominator and smashed into a massive asteroid. The space rock, selected for its similar size to an Imperial Cruiser, exploded in a wave of tiny micro-asteroids and boiling gas.

"Lord Doci we are reading molecular destabilisation in the target. The power levels exceed our expectations." One of the crew reported a small proud smirk on his face.

By channelling the highly destructive particles produced by the Source into the Fires of Hate they had increased their destructive ability almost tenfold. The only problem was the aesthetics of it. Originally the Fire of Hate had looked like actual fire, but that was a foolish complaint, they needed the power more than the looks.

"Fire." Doci commanded with more force. Eight balls of white light detached themselves from the front and sped away at a much more sedate pace. A few heartbeats passed before they converged on their target, a Battleship sized asteroid. The plasma torpedoes smashed into the space borne metal lump vaporising a massive chunk out of its side. The Defenders opened fire small blue bursts of light to smash apart the remains massive rock.

"Good. Good. Now the Iconoclast." Doci commanded, marvelling at the destruction he had wreaked with merely a thought.

The Iconoclast Cruiser moved forward. It was shaped like a smaller inverted Mothership. At only four kilometres long its wings were much shorter and swept forward under the main body. Held between the tips of the wings was a Fire of Hate projector and its Source was contained in the loop made by the wings under the main sections. Defenders lined the face of the Iconoclast giving it an impressive amount of forward firepower. The ship shattered several asteroids with its faster firing but weaker Fire of Hate and followed that up by pulverising several Frigate sized rocks with its Defenders.

"The Elucidator." Doci commanded enjoying the show of the Ascendancy's might.

The Elucidator Cruisers, at only three kilometres, looked like someone had shrunk and then stretched a Dominator. Missing was the sunken dish that launched the Fire of Hate in its place a cluster of starfire launchers lined the needle prow of the vessel. Defenders were situated along the elliptical main hull, the glowing orb of its Source hung tightly to the ship held closely between the long thin wings and where the wing tips met was a massive engine block that rivalled a Dominator's in size.

A quartet of starfire missiles spat forth from the front of the Elucidator as it raced through the asteroid field at dangerous speeds dodging and spinning around the massive rocks. Another colossal asteroid shattered as the starfire weapons tore into its heart.

"Now; the Flagellant and the Disciples." Doci commanded happy so far with the Crusade Fleet's performance.

The two Flagellant Frigates raced forward. Nimble and swift they raced in close behind the Elucidator, their two separate engines burning like miniature stars, and shattered a series of smaller asteroids with their Defenders. In their wake was a formation of Disciple fighters hurled through space by the raw energy of their Sources. The elliptical fighters dodged and weaved through the shattered debris of the asteroid fields firing their Defenders to take out the smaller rocks and using the starfire weapon on their nose to vaporise the larger ones. The light of their tiny Source was the only indication of their position as the highly trained pilots threw their craft around for all they were worth.

"Marvellous." The Doci whispered. Little more than five seasons ago, bar a few relics of bygone Crusades, the sword for a Humans or an Empyrean Staff for a Prior had been the pinnacle weapon in the Ascendancy but now. Now they could shatter moons and burn planets with the magicks the Ori had granted them; and finally they were ready to face the Great Enemy.

"Is it to your liking?" The Prime Warprior asked, a small smirk on his aged face as he watched the Disciples swarm towards the Iconoclast.

"Yes, truly the Great Enemy shall be no obstacle against the might of our Holy Crusade Fleet." Doci proclaimed. "Now I must inspect the first fully armed Orders of the Warriors of Faith." He continued before golden flames engulfed him.

Flames a beautiful gold in colour compressed into the form of a man and from them stepped the Doci. Before him a vast host of Warriors showed their Light Bearers, Torches of Hate and Purifiers held vertically against their chests. The two man teams of the Star Bearers stood side by side with their large weapons. Amongst them the leaders, Paladins, of individual Unions could be identified by the presence of a Force Blade on their person.

The Light Bearers; starfire weapons forged into staff like shapes of Origin. They were to be the main weapon of the Ascendancy and with it they would burn away the Darkness. Purifiers; twin barrelled weapons of fiery destruction. From their snarling muzzles they launched forth streams of unquenchable flame with which they would cleanse the universe. The Torches of Hate; the miniature Fire of Hate would be their sword against the metal contraptions of the Great Enemy. Star Bearers; the most destructive and deadly of the Warriors' weapons. A sturdy barrel with eight rapid firing Light Bearers attached allowed the starfire weapon to cleave through even the armour of a Blessed Paladin in a heartbeat. The Force Blade; a gently curving blade with a single edge forged from the same material as the Vestments of Devotion. Its edge was said by the Orihosts to be thinner than the tiniest particle of water and a deep green crystal lined this impossible edge. From this crystal an a rippling curtain of sliver flecked energy known to the artisans as a Distortion Field could be projected to cover the Force Blade's edge. The Distortion Field could warp anything it touched, tearing it apart. It also projected an invisible force forwards and to the sides weakening matter before it was cut and pushing debris out of the way.

The humming forms of the Valliants sat further back floating on their strange magicks. The elegant sweeping lines of the hovering tanks contorted into the symbol of Origin. The two forward sweeping blade like wings were armed with a pair of Star Bearers each. On the central bulge, in which the three Warriors that comprised the machines crew resided, the projector of a Torch of Hate was mounted on a swivelling head. The Source was buried in the rear armour of the Valliant and, like with the Disciples, provided most of the forward thrust. Heavily armoured and slow moving they would scorch clean everything in their path.

Behind them were the Indignants and Exorcists. A brotherhood of machines they both shared a basic design. Six sturdy mechanical legs jutted out form a large central body with a small crystal protrusion that housed its sensors. Inside were two Warriors of Faith one to drive and fight and one to shoot and navigate. Their Source was a heavily armoured thing on the machines' back. On the Exorcists a large pylon extended from the Source far above the Exorcist's head. When activated the Ethereal Mortar would break into many pieces each one suspended in magicks that defied gravity. Then they would twist and turn as they built up power to fling a bolt of the Source's raw essence at the bastions of the Great Enemy. The Indignants were of a wholly different breed. Two monstrous multi bladed crushing claws jutted out from the front of the main body, each blade was a massively powerful Force Sword capable of splitting asunder any armour. On the head were mounted a Star Bearer and Purifier with which they would scythe down the Great Enemy.

To the side, idle and empty, were the Advocates. The Orihosts had built the machines to battle the so called 'Dreadnoughts' of the Glasya-Labolas and any other mechanical parody of the True Form the Great Enemy had built. Fast and agile the Advocates could throw themselves around with their long inverted legs. Hanging from the smaller middle arms were mountings for two weapons and claws, miniature versions of the Indignant's, were at the end of the longer top arms. In the middle of its chest the crystalline oval of its sensors glittered in the sunlight and the glow of its Source emanated from its back where it could be used to alter the machines trajectory in mid-flight. Sadly only a fully trained Battleprior could hope to use one of those deadly machines.

"All twenty five thousand Warriors of the Order of Ablution present!" A Warprior bellowed behind him ten thousand seven hundred and fifty two, in decimal, Warriors of Faith slammed the large twin barrels of their Purifiers against their Vestments.

"All one thousand five hundred Warriors of the Order of Ruin present!" A second Warprior shouted. Behind him the eight hundred and thirty two Warriors stamped their heavily armoured feet the Torches of Hate they carried too fragile to be used like the Purifiers.

"All five hundred and fifty thousand Warriors of the Order of Radiance present!" One hundred and eighty four thousand three hundred and twenty Light Bearers slammed into the ground with a might crash.

"All one hundred and seventy Warriors of the Order of Perdition present!" The one hundred and twenty Warriors beside their Star Bearers stamped their feet in response.

"All thirty six Warriors of the Order of Valour present!" Shouted a Warprior from the top of his Indignant, the other fourteen machines clapped their huge claws together twice.

"All twenty four of the Order of Revelations present!" Echoed the steely voice of the Warprior from the leading Exorcist. The other nine Exorcists stamped their mechanical feet in salute.

"All one hundred and thirty two Warriors of the Order of Clarity present!" The Warprior roared from in front of his idling Valliant. The other thirty three Warrior crews stamped their feet like those before them.

A small force; but they were all fully trained and armed. In the training camps a further six billion Warriors were being readied and in the forges millions more machines of war were being finished at that very moment. In a single season their armies would be equal, if not in numbers then in weapons, to those of the Great Enemy. The Doci allowed a small pious smile to grace his face, it would take over six seasons but they would be ready. A commotion to the side of the courtyard drew his attention. One hundred and forty five of Mara Valdis's creations marched in file towards him. Each was adorned in their huge and intimidating pristine white armour. Like the Power Armour of the Glasya-Labolas it enhanced their strength and toughness to inhuman levels. Gone was the oversized shoulder guards in their place were slimmer more streamlined armoured patches. Gone were the massive greaves, the bulky backpacks, the power cables, armoured or not, the unsightly motifs of skulls had been replaced with simple symbols of Origin. A massive collar guard that rose from the shoulders to their noses shielded their faces from view and helmets like those of the Warriors covered their scalps. Blue lenses glared out at the world from within the sunken pits of the eye sockets. The armour of the Blessed Paladins was reduced in mass and bulkiness but not in toughness. Every last one of them towered almost a half man higher than the surrounding Warriors. Each one cradled an Empyrean Bolter in their armoured hands and an Empyrean Blade rested at their waists.

The Empyrean weapons were only usable by Priors and the Blessed Paladins. Drawing the raw might of the Empyrean into this plane of existence was a highly destructive achievement. The Empyrean Bolter fired shells charged with the Will of their master. Upon detonation they tore a small hole in reality letting the Empyrean swallow their target in its bottomless and hollow embrace. Large metallic boxes which contained some of the most complex machinery fashioned by the artisans they looked deceptively simple with modest beaten hide handles and a sickle shaped removable storage container for their bolts. The Empyrean Blades were Force Blades that could force the Will of their user through them allowing the weapons to be used in a multitude of ways; from launching tongues of fire to splitting reality.

The formation came to a perfect halt every single one of them moving in absolute synchronisation. Doci caught the flicker of ideas and images flashing between the Blessed Paladins far faster and on a higher level of complexity than he had never experienced.

"All one hundred and forty five Blessed Paladins, First Company, of the Order of Extermination present." Mara's voice was low and level as she stared at the Doci. It was not an army of them but a full Company of Blessed Paladins could slaughter any other force with ease.

A roar erupted from Unit 066, The Captain and Mara's favourite, the Blessed Paladins slammed their fist into their armoured chests with such force it would have shattered a normal man's ribs. The booming echo rolled across the wonder filled wide eyed figures of the Warriors. Doci caught a flicker of bloodlust and bottomless hatred from the Blessed Paladins

The Doci, leader of all the Ascendancy, smiled grimly as the Blessed Paladins returned to their statuesque and meticulousness stance. "One season. One more season and all you have toiled for and sacrificed shall be rewarded. On the first day of the Festival of Holy Light the Ascendancy shall rise. On that day we shall march across the universe. On that day we shall destroy the Great Enemy." He paused to sweep the Warriors with his devout gaze. "On that day we shall go to war."

"Hallowed are the ORI!" Screamed the Warriors of Faith; the parade ground resonating with two hundred thousand voices.

"Hallowed are the Ori." Doci replied quietly.

* * *

**21****st**** Day in Feast to the Greatly Revered Deceased, Fourth Crusade (6****th**** season of The Holy Crusade) ****/ Imperial Year 7 – 121 / 10****th**** May 2011 Anno Domini, Terran Standard.**

* * *

This was it. The Doci's eyes swept the room. The Company of Blessed Paladins armoured in their white finery. Two Priors, the Prime Warprior and the first true Battleprior. Seated in a small box above the floor were the three Orihosts. Two were skeletal puppets and the third had just recently taken a new host. At the front Mara, an insane glow in her eyes, fussed around with some form of light projecting contraption at her side as always was Unit 066. So this was it the first true act of the Holy Crusade, it was not the heavenly host marching to war as he had imagined but he understood its necessity. They would have less than half a season to accomplish their mission before the Crusade Fleet attacked.

The holo-tank clicked on with a loud bang as the brass connectors settled into place. A picture of three galaxies far too close together flashed up. It showed a highly detailed map of the Imperium circa Imperial Year 5; the map was highly annotated with notes and theories on civilian and military dispositions. "This, as you know, is the Second Imperium of Man. You mission is to pave the way for the main Crusade Fleet. All our data is just over a season and a half, two Imperial Years, out of date. During your mission you will make contact with the Order of Sanctified Light, receive the Elucidator Cruiser they have been constructing and update all relevant tactical and strategic data. This complete you are to secure their position and begin construction of the Supergate. During the construction period you are to continue disrupting the Imperium. To this end we have compiled a list of targets."

A picture of a tall, muscular, man in black and gold bulky armour who look in his early thirties sprang up above Mara's head. A stern scowl stared out at the assembled might of the Ascendancy. "Brother-Captain, unofficial Chapter Master, Angelus of the Adeptus Astartes Chapter Sons of Sol Second Company. An agent of war unparalleled by mortal men. He and his Space Marines are the sole reason the Blessed Paladins exist. A cold and calculating mind is hidden under the veneer of righteous anger. Commanding a full three hundred of the extra-dimensional superhuman warriors he is a formidable opponent having bested Daemons and Tyranid bio-constructs in single combat. Like all Space Marines you are not to engage unless the situation favours you heavily. He is to be considered hyper-lethal and a primary target." Mara ignored the undulating hiss that escaped several of the Paladins. She would rejoice if any of the Space Marines were to die at the hands of her creations.

The holo-tank shifted seamlessly into a split picture. On one side a bald man in the same bulky armour as Angelus. He carried a Plasma Cannon his face set with stern determination. On the other a man with a proud smirk hefted a massively oversized fist above his head. "Brother-Captains Karrak and Boras of the Sons of Sol Fourth and Third Companies respectively. Each is a master of warfare rivalling Angelus. Both of them were known for leading daring and destructive raids against the Goa'uld Empire and later the Replicons. They should be considered secondary targets and both of them are hyper-lethal." A quick whispering escaped the Orihosts as they began to natter away in their strange original language. Whenever anyone mentioned the Replicons they got that way.

Ignoring the Orihosts as they argued about the Replicons she moved on. A man in blue armour sporting a melancholy smile as sparks danced around the tubes attached to his bald head. "Brother-Librarian Levi of the Sons of Sol Fourth Company. Chief Librarian he is an extremely powerful Psyker known to have even defeated a C'tan in single combat. Capable of destroying armies with a word and shattering the most powerful of weapons with a gesture he is to be engaged with extreme caution. He is to be considered hyper-lethal and a primary target." This time she frowned at the reaction; the two Priors chortled at the description but the Paladins just stared up at the screen in complete silence.

The Hololithic display morphed again to display a new target. An aged man with white hair and gently wrinkled face smiled benevolently out at his assassins. "Brother-Sergeant Nestor of the Sons of Sol Second Company. He is Angelus's second and a veteran of a speculated six hundred years of combat. Usually on-board the _Emperor's Light _he has been known to lead swift and deadly attacks. A masterful tactician he should never be engaged on his own terms. He is to be considered hyper-lethal and a secondary target."

A silver skull for a death mask glared with hate filled red eyes out at them. In one hand was clutched am axe its head shaped like a glittering twin headed eagle and in the other an ancient book its pages forged from gold. "Brother-Chaplain Ishmael of the Sons of Sol Second Company. He is the leading Chaplain amongst the Adeptus Astartes and is charged with maintaining their faith. His assassination would prove a devastating blow to their moral. As skilled as any Space Marine he charges into battle in a berserker rage spouting litanies and oaths. Do not engage in close ranged combat. He is to be considered a primary target and hyper-lethal."

Five figures their armour as red as blood. Each one had a slightly different mechanical third arm extending form their backs. The top three were two young men both with helmets and an extremely old man his hairless scalp riddled with scars and wrinkles. The bottom two were back to back faces turned away from each other with matching indignant scowls. "Brother-Tech-Marines Gideon, Vanem, Baltus, Samson and Caleb of the Sons of Sol Third, Second, Second, Fourth and Fourth Companies respectively. Each one of them is tasked with the maintenance of an important part of the _Emperor's Light_ and if they are killed before passing on their knowledge then all of it will be lost. Our last reports indicate that they have yet to fully transcribe all their data into the Yggdrasil Core. This means that if you are successful in an attack we could potentially destroy a large amount of dangerous Imperial technology – magiks. Like all Space Marines all four are to be considered hyper-lethal; they are also primary targets."

A young man in full Semi-Powered Armour filled the Hololith. A scar ran down one side of his face and a silver streak marred his sandy blond hair. "Colonel Jonathan O'Neill. A Hero of the Imperium, he is the field-leader of the High Mobile Infantry on almost all of their engagements. Noted for his participation in: the Hanoth Defence, Callundra Assault, Battle of Mars, Wraith/Tyranid Extermination, Pegasus Conquest, Subjugation of Hel, Second Imperial Intervention, the True Human Empire's attack on Castiana and finally the destruction of the Order. He is a masterful tactician that belies his years. He is to be considered extremely lethal, engage with caution."

Whispering raced between the two Priors. The O'Neill had caused them much grief and a chance at vengeance would not be missed. The holo-tank shifted again this time to show a large, dark skinned, muscular man holding a bulb headed staff. "General Teal'c of Chulak. Former First Prime to the leading System Lord of the Goa'uld Empire he is a formidable foe in battle. He is the overall commander of the High Mobile Infantry and has a major following in the Jaffa populations of the Imperium. Assassination is recommended if an opportunity presents itself. Responsible for untold thousands of deaths in battle he is also to be considered extremely lethal."

A blonde woman standing amongst a group of red robed Magos of the Adeptus Mechanicus flashed up. Behind them a Chollima Cruiser blasted off from its moorings on the Martian surface. "Major General Samantha O'Neill. Wife to Supreme Commander O'Neill and head researcher within the Yggdrasil Core, she is to be considered a high priority target. Her death may seriously destabilise the Supreme Commander. A high level intellect and potent battle skills she makes a difficult opponent and is to be regarded as lethal."

A man trapped between two Unas as they danced around a fire quickly followed. The reptilian Xenos had adorned him with many bone and feather trinkets and the helmet of a Serpent Guard was burning merrily in the fire. "Doctor Daniel Jackson. Leader of the Imperium's 'ancient civilisations' department. He is the leading expert in linguistics and a former Ascended." At that all the Priors faces turned sour and a rumbling escaped the Orihosts. "He is to be considered a low priority target but capture and interrogation might gain important insight into the Imperium. His exploits with SG-1 have made him a moderately effective warrior."

A large man with dread locks and a large serrated sword appeared in the holo-tank. He was proudly adding another Wraith's head to his pile. "Lieutenant Colonel Ronon Dex. Colonel O'Neill's Second in command when he is attached to the High Mobile Infantry. This man is a former Runner and on that premises alone is to be considered extremely lethal. All reports place him in the Pegasus or Ida galaxies."

Two new pictures flickered into life. One was a young man dressed in the blue uniform of Lantean Sector he was frowning in concentration as he hit another golf ball far off into the Lantean sea. The second picture was of a silver haired woman, young in appearance, she was distinctly uncomfortable as Angelus glared down at her a Pulse pistol in his hand. "Colonel John Sheppard. He is commander of Lantean's garrison and Imperial liaison to the Zerfàrim – currently one of two known races to be unofficial members of the Imperium – he is to be considered a lethal threat and a secondary target. Assassination might provoke hostilities between the Zerfàrim and Imperials. Similarly. Captain Thieri Ghen'Hòar. Military liaison to the Imperium from the reclusive Zerfàrim she is to be considered a secondary target of opportunity. Her locations are erratic but she is normally seen in the accompaniment of either the Adeptus Mechanicus or the Adeptus Astartes. She is to be considered a moderate threat." Mara indicated each of them in turn noting, with a certain degree of pride, the way her Blessed Paladins ignored them in favour of the more dangerous targets.

"Governess Elizabeth Weir. Leader of Segmentum Atlantis and the Pegasus galaxy at large she is to be considered a secondary target. However despite being a mere civilian and therefore harmless she is normally aboard the City Ship Atlantis. Do not attempt to engage if this is the case." She reinforced the point with a sharp glance at The Captain. Unit 066 acknowledged this limitation with a soft growling noise.

An old man smiling jovially as he rested on top of a Longsword Battletank preceded Weir. In the background the unmistakable form of the Eden colony was burning. "High General Bra'tac of Chulak. At one hundred and forty years old this venerable Jaffa has amassed a level of skill and experience unmatched by any Warrior of Faith, Battleprior or Blessed Paladin. He is the leader of the Imperuim's armies and has been known to lead from the front. Considered extremely lethal he is a secondary target that is to only be engaged if an opportunity presents itself."

A bald strong faced man sitting in the command throne of an Imperial Battleship. He was at the centre of a nexus of movement as he commanded his vessel in battle. "This is High General George Hammond of Texas. Commander of the Imperial Navy he is almost always aboard the SNI _Fenrir_. Latest intelligence suggests that the SNI _Fenrir _has been upgraded with far more devastating weaponry. A full Imperial Taskforce of three capital ships and eleven escorts surrounds the _Fenrir _at all times. You will not have enough fire power to assault this target."

A balding man in a strange brown robe his eyes alight with the golden glow of a host filled the holo-tank. Behind him a hundreds of black cloaked Arxs stood at attention. "High Marshal Jacob Carter and Selmak. Leader of the Pacis Arx he is a member of the Tok'shek. A dissident movement from the fallen Goa'uld Empire. It is highly doubtful that you will make contact with him or any other Tok'shek, therefore he is to be considered a secondary target of opportunity. If he is engaged act with caution, the Tok'ra managed to fight a guerrilla war for over three thousand seven hundred seasons. They are not to be taken lightly. He is an extremely lethal target."

The picture this time was of the scarred General standing on a towering pile of Replicon blocks. He was in the standard uniform of the Imperial Gate Legion, plus a rather heavy looking great coat, with a Power Sword in one hand and a Bolter in the other. "Chaplain Superior Kage. Spiritual leader of the Imperial Cult he was a General during the Replicon War." She sighed as the Orihosts began their bickering again. "He was known for fighting on the front lines and keeping his soldiers in incredibly high moral. Lately he has only been seen on Dakara in the Temple of The Emperor. Do not attempt to attack Dakara; it is far too heavily defended. Chaplain Superior Kage is to be considered a primary target if the opportunity presents itself, but he is to be considered lethal."

This time the holo-tank was filled with a picture of a beautiful redheaded woman in the green uniform of the I.G.L. She was trying to stifle her laughter as a small man with balding flat hair hung helplessly from the ceiling and another man, one of his arms a silver colour, was shouting up at him from the floor. In the corner a strange device was glowing. "Lieutenant Colonel Lillia McKay. The only known Human Psyker and wife to Rodney McKay. Reports indicate she is his last major connection to the Human race. Due to her status as a Psyker she is to be considered extremely lethal. Her death may cause the hybrid to break down and withdraw. Thus she has been marked as a secondary target. She is normally seen in the accompaniment of the hybrid. Do not attempt an assault if this is the case."

The holo-tank zoomed in until it was focused solely on the hybrid. "This is Rodney Meredith McKay. He is the Fabricator-General of the Adeptus Mechanicus as well as a half man half C'tan hybrid. He commands powers beyond the realms of Human comprehension. You are not to engage at any cost. All units in contact with the hybrid are to be considered lost. All battles with the hybrid involved are to be considered lost. Any ship boarded by the hybrid is to be fired upon without hesitation. He is the only known supra-lethal weapon in the Imperial's arsenal. You are to flee on sight." She pronounced the last line loudly fixing every single person in the room with a stern glare. Several of the Blessed Paladins bowed their heads in disappointment and the two Priors looked unconvinced. The Prime Warprior was simply staring at the picture seemingly in deep concentration along with the Doci and the Battleprior looked like he was reciting prayers.

"Finally. This is Supreme Commander General Jack O'Neill. He is the highest priority target. If presented with an opportunity you are to assassinate at all costs. All protocols are rescinded if you make contact with him. He is however considered hyper-lethal." She stopped when a snort escaped the eldest of the two Priors. She glared for a moment and gestured for the Blessed Paladins to stand down. "He alone is responsible for the complete extermination of six different species, the annihilation of multiple galactic empires and personal responsibility for the deaths of almost two million sentients. Not to mention that he is always surrounded by enough loyal firepower to make any attempt on his life… a one way Journey." She rattled off enjoying the way the Prior's jaw had slowly dropped.

"These are the primary and secondary targets. Tertiary targets will be updated through the Seers or Order as your mission progressed. May the Ori guide you." Silence filled the room as the Blessed Paladins worked through the data deconstructing it and reconstructing it with their not quite human psyche. The Priors, Warprior, Battleprior and Doci just sat and thought; small snippets of conversation flying between them. The three Orihosts stood and glided from the room in complete silence.

* * *

The Battleprior stood before the Stargate, excitement welling in his soul. He was finally dressed in all his finery; the Vestments of Devotion fitted perfectly and his personalised extra-long Empyrean Blade was slung across his back. The chainmail that covered the entirety of his face rattled as he turned his head to look upon his command. Beside him Unit 066 stood in perfect silence his massive Empyrean Bolter held easily in one hand. Beyond the Blessed Paladin stood the others; still as stone their eyes fixed on the Stargate. Even through the blue lenses of their helmets he could feel the tension they exuded. The other two Priors, his advisers on this Journey, were to the side resting their weight upon their Empyrean Staffs keeping a distance between them themselves and the Blessed Paladins.

The Doci strode forward as the magicks of the Stargate sent the great stone spinning. "Though you walk in the valley of the shadow of damnation. You shall fear no evil. For you are death incarnate. Go now and bring ruination upon the Great Enemy."

One hundred and two armoured feet charged through the event horizon to the other side of reality followed by two pairs of sandaled feet at a much more sedate pace.


	4. That Long Black Cloud

"Normal speech."

"**Gothic around non-Imperials**."

"Mental Links." and Betas Comments

"_Ship Names_."

* * *

Darth nylon544: You are probably one of the best reviewers I've ever had. It's so nice to have someone get so into my little ramblings. Your basically right about the I.G.L. special regiments but I've used some other scifi sources as inspiration as well. Anyway:

1) Technically they already worship the Ori, which I'm treating as a 'sort of' Warp deity. After all they do draw power from their followers. So some power leaks into the raw Warp most goes to the Ori. I'm also treating the Blessed Paladins like 'sort of' Deamons as in they are the Ori's will incarnate (which they kind of are due to them being birthed from the power of the Ori). It's one of the big things I've got going for them. One needs to forsake the Light of the Ori to fall to Chaos. I'm going for a more Judeo-Christian take on the Daemons. As in you have to actually give in rather than just every other Psyker getting it in the face after he`s been sloppy once. An in-story fact I'm attributing to the (our) Chaos Gods being asleep.

2) A Type 3 civ. should in theory be able to toast a System (see Arcturus and ZPM detonations) while such weapons are a last resort (and I meant last resort, Arcturus can blow holes in reality for God's sake!). Which nicely eliminates a Bolo or other such things. But in a straight up fight then yeah there are things out in the multi-verse that could take on the Imperium. In my mind the Lanteans were arrogant idiots that were so assured of their own superiority that they never even considered super-weapons until it was too late. Their mindset was probably 'why should we even need to consider such a drastic action if we can remove the threat any time we feel like it?' or something like that. Which they (more or less) taught the Zerfàrim, hence the reason for them missing any and all WOMD.

3) I've got one final response to this: Ewoks. Your basic Storm Trooper was murdered by a midget in a bear costume wielding rocks. ROCKS! No self-respecting army can EVER recover from that. Agreed. ;)

4) Democracy is mostly for the Planetary Governors and most of them stay as the ones the Terran gave them. A system for Segmentum Governors was in the works but it would make the politics of the Imperium more complicated and I don't really think people come to this story to read about my horribly linear views on politics.

5) Almost all Stargate have Irises. The True Human Empire got onto Delmak because they had valid I.G.L. codes. The Space Marines are just wandering badasses. They go where they are needed; but most of their time is spent either trying to increase their numbers or training with the H.M.I. I'm a Tau player; I like the little grey space commies. It's amusing how naïve they are about how f**ked up the galaxy is.

6) Adamantium is still the strongest alloy around. Plasteel and Armaplas have been given an upgrade but against pure and perfect plasma spamming army of the Ascendancy it's not really worth mentioning so I didn't. The Gothic look is still in. There are still chapels on the ships and such while Gothic designs are still present but the classic blockish Tau'ri has toned it down a bit. There are no statues or things lining Imperial Navy ships. That's just Lantean tech for gene activation. If the Imperium reverse engineered it they could make it work for everyone using an interface device.

7) I'm not quite sure. The Replicon cells keep her in good shape but they can only ever do so much to prevent aging. I would say tag on another hundred and a bit years or so. While the Replicon cells do adapt they will plateau out as well. A single cell can only pass so much energy before it just sublimes but her main limiter is the fact that she isn't a true Psyker. Even with the changes Levi made her soul can only draw so much Warp power before its simply destroyed. She's a powerful Psyker around Zeta / Epsilon level but not infinite. That's the whole point; a man in rage makes mistakes. He becomes emotionally involved and when that happens he can be predicted and led on. Although I'll admit that they have underestimated just how destructive McKay has gotten. The Asgard Remnant is a part of the Imperium but maintains a lot of independence because they`re very close allies. They don't want a part in the Imperium's government aside for the Adeptus Mechanicus. Now that the Fifth Race has come into its own they can 'retire' and focus on uncovering the mysteries of the universe.

8) I'm glad that you agree. If you want to be free then you must be strong enough to defend that when the time comes. Imperial Credits (1 Credit is about $100) are the Imperium wide currency but several planets still use barter, Naquadah or local money. Gerak was a Traditionalist and he disliked the frivolous attitudes of a more liberal world. All planets pay Tithes; mostly raw material to feed the Beam Constructors and raw materials that are too difficult to synthesise. Most of it goes straight back into the infrastructure of the planet but some goes to the Imperial Martial Services. At the moment all Services are voluntary there is currently no conscription. After a term of service, normally decided by the Sector General or High General, they go on 'leave' for a certain time. Most return home on ships or Stargates but some go travelling around the Imperium. The Pacis Arx? Well I want that to develop on its own.

9) Ha'taks can't go intergalactic, so most have been replaced with Chariots but when good old-fashioned fire power is needed they still deploy Ha'taks as backup. Most alien races carry on as they always have. Some of them help the Imperium at large any way they can. It's okay.

10) Free Traders are the only intergalactic group mostly because intergalactic hyperdrives were very, very advanced tech. Terran corporations aren't spreading out of Sol and are losing power to the Superpowers as the Terran Federation tries to create a world were power is held by the people not the wealthy. With their limitations removed the 'dreamers' are finally pushing forward with some serious force.

11) One word. Power. They were both promised dominion over the True Human Empire. The Priors found men they could bend to their will easiest and the greedy are very easy to control.

12) They use them a lot against unshielded targets anything above a basic Goa'uld barrier shield can repel the targeting scanners and if you set one of those things off without proper targeting it could end badly. The reason I didn't use them against the Infinite Kingdom was because I wanted McKay to get in there and make his mark. An in-story reason is that after the Thirty Minuet War what was to become the Terran Federation moved to keep Beaming tech restricted to purely civilian purposes.

13) Exterminatus was only widely used during the Replicon War and they always tried to hold the line long enough to get as many people and resources off the planet as possible.

14) The Imperium has no real news network other than the Muninn. Individual planets report information from the Muninn mainly because it's too vast to censor properly. Worlds do trade, they set up Free Traders or trade convoys or Stargate transactions. The economy is controlled by the value of the Imperial Credit which is controlled by the Senate.

15) The Muninn System is the Imperium's internet. You gave me an amusing idea for the Muninn that I hope you enjoy. _The blood of martyrs is the seed of the Imperium. _

Some101: 1) Yes, yes it is. But just made Ori-tastic.

2) No, no they don't but they are still packing fairly decent gear themselves.

3) I got the Halo: Reach and I was just like "Hyper-lethal? Sounds like a Space Marine. Wait a minute!" So I just ran with it. _An Eye for an Eye._

Lord Of The Blood Moon: Yep here we go. There isn't really a line, both are Warp deities that function off the belief of their followers. The Ori however are a little more stable and diverse in the emotions they can feed off of. _Glory in death is life Eternal. _

Alpha Omega Protocol: Everything will progress forwards unto the limit of my imagination. There is enough geneseed in them but it takes a long time to bring a Neophyte up to even operational speed never mind Initiate level. Yes the personal shield requires the ATA gene but with a proper interface device anyone can use it. _What is left when courage is lost? _

Pinto: Mara doesn't understand Psykers, you`re right. She hasn't learnt anything form what happened at the warehouse but the Ori do. They have taken precautions with their new Priors and the Blessed Paladins to protect them against the strange Darkness they found in Imperial space. That's true they will never match the Imperium's industrial output but if the Ori deign it to be so they can have weapons of god-like power.

That's true; it's because Mara was looking at it from a contemporary Terran's perspective. Not that of a man from the grimdarkness. They ignored Sheppard and Ghen'Hòar because they're not important enough to warrant major 'hunting down a brutally kill' attention.

I left a clue to that in _An Illusion of Halcyon_. Yes more Ad Mech and Inquisition stuff as the story progresses. Psykers in general population will not be making an appearance, Human evolution is just not there yet. With the wide application of the ATA gene treatment it'll come around far faster than it did in the First Imperium but probably not in time to be relevant to this book. _My armour is contempt. _

Senrab Nomis: Thanks, I'm glad it wasn't too dull. _Listen not to the alien, look not upon the alien, speak not unto the alien! _

GBscientist: Mara failed to mention the Pariah status because she doesn't know. It's kept way, way under wraps but the Imperium because if someone found out her then they would come after her with a lynch mob. And well, that wouldn't really end well for the planet if McKay found out. You'll just have to read on to find out about the Neophytes. _Pain is an illusion caused by fear._

Shighaara: Thank you very much. I'm glad you approve. _Innocence proves nothing._

Hammerchuckery: Thanks. I hope you enjoy the carnage to come. _Hate enriches. _

* * *

**Well here we go. Sorry for the week long postponement but real life got in the way. Enjoy.**

* * *

**Heresy Through the Wormhole Part 1: This Impure World – That Long Black Cloud.**

* * *

His hand tightened around his Lasgun. The Chimera rumbled and jerked as it followed in the wake of the armoured column. The nervous knot in his stomach tightened as they plunged deeper into enemy territory. Whoever had thought trying to ambush the accursed ship deserved to be spaced. Slowly. The quite rumblings of abortive conversations whispered through the cramped APC. Nervous laughter and muttered prayers would erupt before quickly silencing themselves. This was beyond even the scope of his experiences. He tried to distract himself by focusing on the Auspex screen but the green and yellow display warped and rippled as the massive Naquadah deposits in the valley walls sent the scanners haywire. Suddenly a Battle Cannon roared in the distance followed by the dull rattling of Heavy Bolters.

"Contact. Load up people!" He yelled over the growling of the vehicles engine. His squad quickly fell into their practiced routines.

"All ready Sarge!" His Corporal reported with a cheerful grin. The bubbly young woman almost skipped back to her seat when he shot her a glance.

A deeper explosion resonated through the armoured hull and he knew one of their Battletanks had just been taken out. Before he could Vox the driver to let them out something heavy landed on top of the Chimera.

"Everyone out!" He bellowed as an inhumanly strong force tore open the top of the Chimera.

The mechanical click whine of the enemy filled the cramped space as the Queen Bug tore away more of the roof. A spray of Las fire hit the Replicon in the face but the machine shrugged the blasts off. The ramp finally lowered and the squad tumbled out into open air. With an almost organic hiss a cloud of billowing acid blew into the troop compartment. He grabbed a hold of his Corporal's hand only for the arms to part when another spray of acid hit it. The woman, only a few years older than him, gave him a sad smile and a kick to the stomach as the grey mist enveloped her.

"Sarge! Everything's gone curvy!" One of his Legionnaires bellowed into his ear as he hauled him to his feet. The Queen Bug collapsed into a pile of blocks as someone finally opened up with a HK G36.

"Frak this!" Another screamed as a tongue of sickly green fire ripped through the Chimera behind them. The rifleman dropped his Lasgun and turned to run. He made it four steps before a Las bolt blew his head apart.

Re-holstering his pistol he turned to his squad. "We have to get to higher ground!"

Another stream of Gauss fire rippled through the column and three Chimeras detonated as they were flayed apart. More squads were out in the open now and several of them were being mowed down by blocks. From the opposite side of the ravine hundreds of Replicons threw themselves down onto the Imperials. Two Jaffa to his left fell screaming as a Neo-Replicon exploded from the ground its Disruption tipped claws tearing huge gouges into their stomachs. A burst of fire tore into the Replicon but it just scuttled down the hillside unaffected.

He chanced a look towards the leading Battletanks. Dozens were in flames and several more were covered in Replicons sporadic fire from the crews spat out into the horde every now and then; but it was a futile effort. Far beyond the shattered tip of their column was the Command Ship and the sea of green and grey expanding towards them. He stopped and stared as a billion Replicons swarmed towards them, more Gauss rained into the valley from the other cliff face and explosion blossomed amongst the trapped Imperial vehicles. All he heard was a muffled scream before he was shoved to the side and a pillar of green screamed past him. His arm burned for some unknown reason but he didn't care. With a bestial roar he launched himself at the Human Form Replicon. The silvered skinned machine turned its Gauss Flayer tipped arm towards him.

And then Jonathan O'Neill awoke screaming.

* * *

She smiled proudly as the Lander took to the skies again. This was her first posting as a Representative and she was almost giddy with excitement. Only the best were selected to represent Terran interests amongst the Imperial Martial Services. The small town she had been taken to was on the far side of the planet from the capital and deep in the mountains. Already the tall peaks were beginning to obscure the setting sun. It was built in the traditional and rustic style that most Pegasus locals seemed to prefer.

"Ma'am, are you the new Rep?" A ridiculously young looking blond haired man asked. He was dressed in the forest green fatigues of the I.G.L. but the patch on his shoulder was the Iron Halo of the H.M.I.

"Yes." She answered firmly. "I'm here with orders for…"

"We know." The man answered with a carefree smile as he swept past her to grab her luggage. On his back she saw a sheathed Neuknife. "The Regiment is going to be sad to see him go. It is truly an inspiration to fight beside such a fierce warrior. Although I think some of us will be glad to have a chance at winning a place in the Greater War again."

She shivered slight at the blasé attitude the Agiman had towards death. It always unnerved her how morbid talking with the H.M.I. could get. "That's nice, but why are you stationed all the way out here?"

"Well, we're supposed to be in the planetary capital but the Colonel dislikes the sycophants. It's surprising how many former nobles and warlords think rubbing shoulders with him will change their fortunes." The Khione native replied with a shrug.

The ride through the small village was the scariest thing she had ever done; including being dropped from orbit into battle. The modified ex-Peoples' Republic UAZ-469 swung round a tight corner lifting perilously off two wheels for a second. A startled cry escaped her mouth as, while dodging a strangely chicken like bird, the crudely bolted on Multi-laser swung round and collided with her head. With a handbrake turn that would have shamed even the best racing drivers they ploughed through a flower bed and pulled to a stop outside a large unassuming inn. The squawking bird fell from her hair in a tangle of straw and feathers before it scuttled away leaving her both shell shocked and strangely amused. The Agiman just continued to hum the 'Ride of the Valkyries'.

"Oh you poor dear!" A rotund woman wailed scurrying out of the large inn's doors. "That was a very mean thing Specialist Spyridon. Look at the poor girl! Covered in straw and… are those my flowers?" The inn's mistress was still ranting when the Agiman leapt from the Jeep and began gathering up her luggage.

Suddenly the heavy wooden doors flew open and a man came tumbling out of the inn. He was quickly followed by a young woman bearing the stylised skull of the Death Commandos on her chest. "What are you two doing?" The old woman roared as the man came to rest at her feet.

The Ilempiri paused, shooting the old Pegasus local an unsure glance. "Nothing." She mumbled quietly suddenly very interested in the state of her boots.

"Oh no! You're not getting away that easily. You're both coming with me." The old woman ground out grabbing both of the unresisting H.M.I. by the arm. "You work that poor boy so hard!" Was the last thing that she managed to hear before the heavy wooden doors slammed shut.

"Are you okay Major?" The Agiman asked from her elbow. She just nodded quietly at him. "Excellent! Now tell me more about this 'jello' the Colonel likes. Does it squeal as it dies?"

* * *

"A somewhat… lacking target." The judgmental voice of the eldest Prior complained.

"This is merely a test of our strength against that of the Great Enemy. We NEED this; our mission is to gather information not indulge your sensibilities." The Battleprior replied swiftly.

"I meant no trespass. I was simply stating that this will not be a test of our strength; merely our patience." The Prior responded with a haughty smirk.

"Are you questioning my decision? This is a new colony; with a small population and light defences." The Battleprior responded in a low growl. The three Order cultists' eyes flickered back and forth between the two.

The portly Prior to the right chuckled jovially as he slapped the two on the back with an unfelt friendliness. He too disliked being subservient to the much younger Battleprior. "Come now. They are heretics; we would be remiss in our holy duty if we let them be."

"My Lords." The leading cultist, an aged man none of the Priors had bothered to learn the name of, spoke up. "The Federation was instrumental in hiding us form the Imperium. It would be… unwise to attack them." In the background Unit 066 hissed in aggravation at the show of weakness.

"These 'Federation' filth should be glad that they were even allowed to take part in the Holy Crusade. Sending them to be judged before the Ori is a glorious thing." The eldest Prior snapped sneering at the Human. How he longed to burn their taint from the Elucidator Cruiser.

"Very well then, _Apocalypse Rising _will attack this convoy before we burn this System. It will be a suitable test." The Battleprior announced.

The three Chariots were breaking orbit of the lonely trading post at the edge of a partially inhabited System on the very fringe of the Milky Way. By the time anyone had detected the flare of a hyperspace window opening outside the System the _Apocalypse Rising_ had burst back into realspace amongst the cargo ships. Raw energy tore through their relatively weak Void Shields and punched into their light armour. One span out towards the Systems edge trailing fire and debris from the massive hole in its flank, another simply expired under the barrage but the third managed to unleash its own prow mounted Lance before another wave of blue energy blasts ripped it apart.

"So that is a 'Lance'? Interesting." The Battleprior murmured as a trio of starfire missiles ploughed into the ugly blockish Imperial habitat. The trading post vanished under the barrage.

"My Lords, a Frigate is accelerating towards us." Fear dripped from the man's tone. The Imperium was an unstoppable war machine; no one had survived a war yet. Somewhere deep in his mind he questioned the Ascendancy's eagerness to do battle.

"Prepare to engage and disrupt their communications." The eldest Prior commanded with barley restrained glee.

"Yes Lord." The _Apocalypse Rising_ banked sharply and accelerated towards the Imperial Frigate.

"Evade!" Screamed the Battleprior an instant before the entire Cruiser shook. Slightly to their starboard a swirling explosion faded away.

The Vajar class Frigate fired its Nova Cannon again the light-speed projectile detonated before the crew even felt the weapon's massive recoil. Their large and unknown foe put on a burst of acceleration that would have shamed anything short of a Destroyer and dove to their portside. The ponderous Frigate tried to bring the ship back into their firing line but the glowing vessel continued to spiral in ever closer. The ships secondary weapons lashed out at each other; Pulse blasts and Plasma flares were traded like for like with energy balls. Space burned as the two desperately tried to target one another.

He slid ungracefully into a seat as the _Apocalypse Rising_ shuddered again. "What in the Ori's name are they firing?" The larger Prior demanded as another stream of starfire raked across the Light of its Soul.

"Plasma Accelerators and Pulse Cannons; my Lord." A cultist answered. "But the shields… I mean the Light of its Soul are holding. I just don't understand why they aren't using…" The man never finished as he was thrown from his seat when the entire ship lurched. Outside the Prior could see the entire Imperial Frigate wreathed in light.

The Heavy Railgun rounds slammed into the _Apocalypse Rising_ with all the force of multiple high yield nuclear detonations. Another volley of supra light-speed projectiles slammed into the Elucidator turning an entire side of the ship's shields an opaque white. The Cruiser whirled around its Imperial target raking the Void Shields with Defender fire. The shimmering wall began to fail as its energy requirements exceeded the amount its plasma reactors could produce. The Elucidator swung its wings round brining its needle nose in line with the turning Frigate.

"Fire." The Battleprior growled. Four starfire missiles slammed into the starboard flank of the Vajar Frigate.

The already failing Void Shields collapsed under the strain and the plasma blew straight through the Frigate's body. The ship snapped in two as its inertia and the force of the many internal explosions carried the heavily armoured prow forward. An instant later the hyperdrive detonated erasing the entire ship.

The planet's singular Halo station opened up with its Lance batteries but the Elucidator evaded the attack with contemptuous ease. Its retaliatory starfire missiles tore through the older generation Void Shield with ease shattering the ring. The station began to lose orbit stability as secondary explosions tore it apart. Another volley of starfire missiles and a few blasts from the Defenders saw it reduced to little more than scrap metal.

"A most unsatisfactory performance." The eldest Prior pronounced, sneering at the light cloud of smoke that hung in the air.

"It is of inferior design and construction. It has never felt the caress of the Orihosts or the sanctity of Orisounes. The magicks of its construction are seasons out of date and touched by heretics." The heftier of the two Priors broadcast to his companion. "But it still fulfilled its mission. We have beaten the Great Enemy in combat." He left it unsaid that they would need to inform the Doci of the Great Enemy's increase in power.

"We have done well enough." Spoke the Battleprior, far more focused on the planet below than the bolstered spirits of the crew.

"It is as you say." The younger Prior smiled jovially at the crew before turning to the three Blessed Paladins. "Prepare for planetary assault." He ordered without a hint of remorse.

The planet they had chosen to attack had a singular small city surrounded by even smaller satellite outposts. The world had been colonised in Imperial Year 7 because of the unusual properties of the local flora and fauna which were being studied to help improve Imperial medicine. To that end the System had little more than a single Battalion in the way of defence. The groundside population comprised of mainly Adeptus Mechanicus representatives and I.G.L. medical personnel.

Laughter and the general babble of multiple conversations was the first thing that assaulted his ears as he materialised in his pillar of black flames. Before the swirling unnatural fire had even begun to clear the four Blessed Paladins had already opened fire on the green clad heretics. Bodies disintegrated into dust, gore splattered everything and strange balls of purple lightening leapt through the air. Without a thought he swung his Empyrean Blade over his shoulder in a wide arc bisecting a stunned woman and beheading an oddly dark skinned man. With a thought he forced his Will through the blade sending a wave of black flames to engulf the other Humans at the table. Shouting finally erupted as several heretics all across the room were torn apart by the swirling darkness of the Empyrean. For an instant the Blessed Paladins beside him erupted in a racing torrent of joy and fury. Before a single word screamed through the Empyrean.

"KILL!"

Flames, green and silver and blue, erupted from outstretched hands and Empyrean Blades even as the Empyrean Bolters continued to spray death into the heretics. Distortions wracked the room as even the furniture and walls began to warp under the Empyrean's gaze. Heretics stumbled and fell as floors rose and fell while chairs took flight and tables turned themselves into twisted lumps of iron and wood. An instant later it was over.

"Clear." The Battleprior murmured. The Blessed Paladins moved as one.

From their backs they took a small curved piece of metal. With a flick of their wrists it snapped open revealing a quarter of a large circle. Slamming the pieces together they dropped the large circle to the ground. Instantly a set of four rings sprang from the device and with a flash of light accompanied with a slight hum another Union of Blessed Paladins appeared.

"Spread out and…" He was cut off when a trail of miniature explosions erupted across the huge chest of the Blessed Paladin next to him.

The armoured figure fell backwards, blackened indents staining the pristine white of its armour. Spinning around he barely managed to dodge a burst meant for him. Two heretics stood in the door way their long thin weapons held in two hands. The weapons were tubular and long with a cable reaching round from their stocks behind their wielders. Another barrage erupted from the tip in a tongue of flames and slammed into another Blessed Paladin. His eyes widened as the heretic's armour expanded to cover their faces and arms using some unknown magicks. With a single thought he detached himself from the flow of time. Weaving and dodging as the hyper-sonic slugs raced around him he closed on the two in a heartbeat. With a single handed swing he took one through the middle his Empyrean Blade tearing through the man all the way to his spine. With his other hand he Willed the other into and through a wall.

A beam of light an iridescent blue shot by his head missing by a hairsbreadth. The Las blast slammed into a Blessed Paladin, with a mighty crack half the creature's chest vanished in a ball of vapour. Turning towards the source of the attack he came face to face with a kneeling woman with a silver tube. Fire exploded out of both ends of the metal tube and a large projectile came barrelling towards him. With a roar of effort the Battleprior Willed the missile off course sending it slamming into the floor. The explosion threw him backwards, little shards of metal raining off his Vestments, with the smoke and dust obscuring his vision of the two heretics. The frag missile explosion allowed Unit 077 to lunge past the fallen Battleprior a wave of green and silver flames exploded from its Empyrean Blade. The man with the Lasgun fell screaming as the Distortion Field tore through his Unpowered Armour. The woman had dropped her Missile Launcher and pulled out her pistol. Bullets bounced harmlessly off the Blessed Paladin as it backhanded her into a wall. There was a sickening crunch as its armoured heel came down in her head.

"Move out!" The Battleprior ordered as the first of the starfire missile descended onto the city shaking it to its foundations.

A high pitched whine alerted him of danger just in time to dodge the balls of starfire. Unit 077 wasn't so lucky it took the three plasma bolts in the chest. The mighty Blessed Paladin was blasted of its feet and through a wall; a large smoking crater in its chest. The Plasmagun fired again tracing the Battleprior's path as he dove into cover. A moment later there was the dull roar of Empyrean Bolter fire and a terrified shriek. Peeking out from behind the stone pillar he saw the heretic thrashing around on the ground clutching at the mangled and twisted remains of his arm. Two Blessed Paladins advanced cautiously up the corridor as the entire building seemed to shake from another starfire impact.

Another burst of blue light leapt from a room to their right and the two Blessed Paladins flattened themselves against a wall as Las streaked through the doorway. Unit 102 pulled a Fulgora from its belt and pressed the small indent before throwing it blindly into the room. There was a startled half cry before the crackle of discharging lightning echoed through the hallway. The two Blessed Paladins swept into the room keeping their massive bulk impressively low only to find the charred bodies of three heretics.

Another Union swept forward past the room only for the leading Blessed Paladin to vanish in a pillar of light. The white beam slowly dissipated leaving behind the half melted Blessed Paladin crumbled on the floor. A second Blessed Paladin was thrown backwards as a small explosion erupted in its face. Heedless of their two downed comrades the other Blessed Paladins turned to face the new threat. Empyrean Bolter fire tore into the heavy weapon teams blasting holes into the walls and turning the I.G.L. soldiers into quivering lumps of warped flesh. The Blessed Paladins advanced forward, slightly hesitantly as more of their brethren fell, clearing several small pockets of resistance with Fulgoras and their Will instead of facing them head on.

The Battleprior was breathing heavily as he followed in the wake of the Blessed Paladins. Another white figure lay slumped, a gaping wound in its abdomen, amidst horribly mutilated bodies of several heretics. Their weapons of light and starfire were far more deadly than their information said and those long rifles were fairly effective. His only consolation was the Empyrean Bolters were actually exceeding their predicted power, a fact he was grateful for. The Great Enemy was indeed dangerous; far more than he had dared to imagine.

But they were winning! Already they controlled most of the building and _Apocalypse Rising_ was making short work of the settlement. Their bloodying was proving to be a far more interesting fight than he had thought.

He was broken from his musings as a blur of green launched itself from a corner. The heretic held a small blade whose edge seemed to be in constant motion. The dagger plunged into the shoulder of a Blessed Paladin cutting through the Vestments in a shower of sparks. The white armoured figure reacted instantly. Rolling to the side it smashed the heretic into wall. The man made a wet gasping sound as he crumpled to the ground holding his ribs his Vibroknife lying forgotten to the side. He didn't even see the Empyrean Blade until it was buried in his chest.

The idea of resistance and heavy fighting floated into his mind as a Blessed Paladin sent the distinctly inhuman message through the Empyrean. With a wordless signal the Blessed Paladin Union he was following swerved towards their struggling brothers. The journey was short and uninteresting, most of the Great Enemy already having been slaughtered. The complex they were in was a crumbling ruin; the prolonged exposure to the Empyrean weapons and heavy fighting was bringing the whole thing down.

The first sign that they had reached their destination was when a starfire blast blew through a wall showering them in debris. The Battleprior peaked through the hole to see a scene of carnage. Several Blessed Paladins, at least what was left of them, were strewn all over the corridor. Several of them bore the marks of starfire weapons and others seemed to have been hit by something that had torn huge chunks out of them. The heretics had set themselves up at the far end, several large weapons hidden behind sandbags. The unnatural fires and blackened marks of Will attacks and Empyrean Bolters littered the walls and floors but the heretics were outside of their effective range of attack.

The mounted Railgun swung round as its Auspex registered a new set of targets. With the crackle of electricity its operator sent a barrage of supersonic rounds tearing through the walls at the hidden enemies. The rounds barley missed the Battleprior instead tearing a chunk from the Blessed Paladin beside him. With a thought the entire Union vanished in a pillar of flames only to reappear behind the heavy weapons.

The Battleprior lashed out cutting through the spine of the man behind the Plasma Cannon. A stream of flames leapt over his head covering the Railgun and its operators. A gurgling sound came from his right, the Battleprior turned only to see a heretic tear a sword covered in slowly rotating teeth from the neck of a Blessed Paladin. Behind him were several more of the Great Enemy most of them had similar toothed or long straight edged weapons drawn. The front three unloaded a spray from their tubular weapons sending two Blessed Paladins crumbling to the floor.

With a roar the Blessed Paladins threw themselves at their foes discarding their Empyrean Bolters in favour of Blades and fists. Several more Blessed Paladins leapt over the barrier charging into the growing melee.

He ducked under the swing and rolled into his opponents guard. With an upwards thrust his Empyrean Blade burst from heretics back in a shower of viscera, the Disruption Field tearing out much of his chest cavity. He leaned forward, the spinning teeth of a heretic's sword passing inches from his bare head, without a backwards glance he Willed his assailant into the ground he was rewarded with the snapping of bones and a low moan.

Unit 066 charged Will into its hand, the manifestation of it powers taking the form of lightning. The heretic it had suspended in its Will shouted out a warning to his partner as he desperately tried to move. Parrying a desperate strike from the small female Unit 066 rammed its lightning coated fist through the floating male's chest. With a thought the body was tossed aside and the Empyrean Blade in its other hand erupted in flames burning through the woman's gently vibrating sword in an instant. A backhanded strike sent a fool who was attempting to blindside it into the wall his neck bent at an unnatural angle.

A starfire bolt tore through the swirling melee taking a Blessed Paladin in the shoulder one of the heretics pounced on the moment of weakness driving its sword through the smouldering hole. The Blessed Paladin crumbled to the ground like a puppet that had lost its string as the Power Sword severed its spine. The heretic's victory was short lived before Unit 066 grabbed the woman by her head and, with a roar of fury, tore it from her body in a shower of gore.

As the last heretic fell with a fist lodged in his chest the Battleprior approached the heavily armoured door the heretics were defending.

"Blow it." He ordered running a hand over the Adamantium.

Four Blessed Paladins rammed their Empyrean Swords into the door the Distortion Fields emitting a high pitched whine as they ate into the resisting metal. Several seconds passed as the blades dug ever deeper and the whining grew ever louder then, on some unseen signal, blue flames erupted from the swords. The unnatural fire tore into the metal turning it an angry red suddenly the four Blessed Paladins tore their swords out and another two roared as they threw their will at the glowing door. The melting metal ruptured in a shower of sparks leaving a Blessed Paladin sized hole.

The Battleprior was inside instantly, his Empyrean Sword drawn ready to kill. He stopped when the terrified face of a child greeted him. He heard the Blessed Paladins pour in after him but all he could do was survey the room. It was packed with children and the elderly. A series of sharp clicks followed by a gulping noise whispered from the Blessed Paladins and then he faintly registered the dull click of a new clip being rammed home. The Battleprior whirled round on to see the line of white armoured creatures levelling their Empyrean Bolters at the crowd.

"NO!" The Battleprior yelled into the Empyrean but it was too late, their blood was up and their incessant need to kill would not be denied.

The children and the old had little time to realise just what was happening before a score of them had already been obliterated by the Empyrean Bolters. Another burst of fire tore into the huddled masses; reducing bodies to ash and clouds of vapour. Finally it sunk it just what was happening when the third barrage slammed home. The Battleprior could feel the disgust the Blessed Paladins exuded as their targets fled from them. For beings born and bred to fight, kill and die things like fear and retreat were repulsive. The Blessed Paladins swept past the Battleprior who was frozen in his own doubt.

As the hysterical civilians scrambled to the far side of the room burst of Will spawned flames followed them incinerating dozens at a time. Then as the group started to thin they saw the wounded figures lying on the floors blood pooling around them. The Blessed Paladins fell upon these worthless foes with a terrible fury crushing and stabbing everything that dared to mar the Ori's universe. Before the Battleprior could reach them all that was left was a small group of children huddled behind a woman in a corner. Everything else was dead.

Unit 011 advanced on the small group as the other Blessed Paladins started to withdraw back towards the entry point. Their work was done; they had proven that they could engage the Great Enemy, even with a numerical disadvantage, and emerge victorious.

"Stay away!" The woman shouted, she was unarmed but wearing the green of the Great Enemy's soldiers.

Unit 011 snorted the sound muffled to a grunt by its high collar. With a lightning quick dash it was in front of the only remaining survivors. The woman began to flinch back instinctively but the Blessed Paladin's armoured hand shot out like a serpent trapping her neck in its iron grip. The woman flailed weakly against the Blessed Paladin as it lifted her into the air. The Battleprior heard the snarling growl of amusement as he approached Unit 011; the Blessed Paladin turned the woman to face the cowering children and pointed a fist at them. The purple fire exploded from its hand engulfing the small forms in an instant, the woman let out a horrified cry that turned into a gasping wheeze as the Blessed Paladin began to choke her.

"Stop." The Battleprior commanded, desperately trying to ignore the popping and crackling of the dead bodies.

The Blessed Paladin froze but he could feel its disapproving gaze from behind the cold and lifeless blue of its helmet's lenses. "We need prisoners for interrogation." The Blessed Paladin growled deeply but obeyed, picking the woman up by the hair and dragging her weakly protesting form back towards its compatriots. The purple flames quickly vanished from the room.

* * *

She was stood in the small antechamber that acted as the inn's office. The sun had long set and the H.M.I. that infested the inn were, mostly, settling down for the night. She spared time to glare at the aide again. She had been denied an audience that would disturb the Colonel with all the bluntness that she had come to expect from a Hoffan Clone.

"Glare all you want Major. But the Colonel needs his sleep." The DeWyman line clone answered. Like all the DeWymans he was of small stature and strong build with midnight black hair and a subtle but persistent mischievous streak. This particular clone had a bionic arm, the metal plating proudly displayed rather than covered with synthskin, and the tip of a plasma burn peaked up from his collar.

She could hear Specialist Spyridon crashing around in the next door room as he stowed her belongings for the night. The Agiman was ecstatic that he was being helpful and she found his childlike enthusiasm almost adorable. If only he would stop asking how Terran food was killed and butchered. The heavy door slammed open and out stalked her objective.

He looked just like he did in most of the magazines and posters back on Terra. A scar ran from his temple to his chin an untreated wound from a stray Replicon block. Across the skin of his left bicep trailing down into his forearm and into his shoulder were the thin, twisting, grey-silver lines of sub-dermal enhancers. The duller, darker, regions of two bionic ribs marred the right side of his chest and the silvered hair that ran from his temple backwards looked like he had been struck with white paint. Rumour had it that his hair had changed colour when he had been hit with some form of temporal device. The DeWyman flew past her to his side seemingly faster than light.

"Another nightmare sir?" The clone asked, a small mug of the local equivalent to coffee magically materialising in his hand.

"Yes." O'Neill nodded groggily accepting the offered tin mug without hesitation. "What's up Dee?" He asked shuffling over to the room's oversized desk.

"Not much sir. The troops are getting restless; a few fights broke out again. Nothing the Old Lady couldn't handle. I've dealt with the disciplinary issues as well. Sparky's getting up in arms again about the number of 'unsanctioned alterations' some of the Ilempiri are making. I think something about skulls rubs him the wrong way. Other than that all's quiet." DeWyman informed his commander sliding a series of thin folders across the desk.

"Good to hear Dee. Good to hear." O'Neill muttered before taking a long pull on the scaldingly hot drink. "So what's today's agenda?"

"Tonight's, sir." DeWyman corrected instantly refilling the mug almost on reflex and handing O'Neill a spare shirt.

"Really? I thought it was morning." O'Neill muttered slipping into his uniform before sliding into the large comfy looking chair behind the desk.

She tried to be polite and wait for a break in the conversation but when the clone shot her a smirk and O'Neill began to read through one of the files her, admittedly short, fuse ran out. "Excuse me." She coughed loudly getting the attention of both the men.

O'Neill frowned at her for a second before he glanced at DeWyman and sighed heavily. "For the last time Dee. Stop playing games with people, it's funny but by the Emperor it slows everything down."

"Sir, yes sir. I will attempt to remedy that immediately." The clone announced, saluting O'Neill before marching to his smaller desk in the corner.

"Hoffans and their humour." O'Neill muttered shaking his head. "And what can I do for you Major?"

"Hailey, sir. Jennifer Hailey." She replied saluting the Colonel.

"Oh you!" He'd never been shot with a Zat so many times in a single day before or since in his entire life. "You're a Major now? Carter – I mean Major General O'Neill – must be so proud." He corrected quickly.

"Yes, um, well I suppose." She stumbled through the sentence taken aback about how well informed the Colonel seemed.

"Dul. So you're here to relieve me? Where were you stationed before this?" O'Neill asked looking up at the woman who had been nothing more than a young girl last time he remembered seeing her.

"No sir. This is my first time off Terra as part of the Imperial Martial Services. And I'm not here to relieve you; we're both being assigned to the 33rd Terran Legion." She replied noting the way his face fell at the mention of their assignment.

"Not another Terran Legion. I thought I got out of that last time. I… did you say 33rd?" He asked stopping himself mid-rant. "The 33rd! Not the Greenhorns! Oh sweet merciful Emperor, what did I do to deserve this?" O'Neill lamented much to the amusement of DeWyman.

"Please sir. It can't be that bad." Jennifer pleaded as O'Neill started to bang his head against his desk.

"It is! It is." O'Neill moaned. "And you! You're coming with me!" He shouted at the smirking clone.

Jennifer Hailey stood as Colonel O'Neill and Master Gunnery Sergeant DeWyman IV 2968 exchanged barbs and horror stories of their times with Terran Legions. Somewhere deep in her mind the image of the Hero of the Imperium Colonel O'Neill warped just a little.

* * *

Nestor smiled proudly as his apprentice bounced off the ground. It was good for the lad to learn some humility. A loud chorus of cheering and cat calls erupted from the other Neophytes. Optin, Cenonbi and Kazim were offering horribly unorthodox advice while Sachiel and Astaroth merely lamented the fact that one of their Brothers was being smacked around by a merely partially enhanced woman.

The redheaded demi-Psyker landed gracefully on her toes and awaited her opponent to return to his feet. With a war cry that would have made Angelus proud he charged back into the fight. Overhead a Wing of I-301Bs roared past and in the background Stein was putting a H.M.I. Platoon through their paces with barely concealed enthusiasm. The new Imperial Stargate Command was a much better facility Nestor mused as a perfectly executed throw handed Lillia the spar.

"Helios. That's enough." Nestor called. Helios was the first Neophyte induced from this universe to reach a level where they could let him out of the Chapter Keep. Others were coming but they were still several years off.

The teenager slumped in defeat under his foe. Despite being a bit head strong and a little impatient he was looking to have a bright future in the Chapter. He had gotten the notion that he, as a Space Marine, was invincible and Nestor had taken it upon himself to rid the Neophyte of that dangerous belief. Pride always came before a fall.

And Space Marines always fell hard.

"But Brother-Sergeant I think I can reach her." The young boy whined.

"Lieutenant Colonel, try not to damage him too much." Nestor groaned as Helios began squirming under his captor.

The young boy yelped as a red sparks danced across his skin and Carapace Armour sending his muscle into spasms. Lillia let out a small giggle as she got to her feet and several of the other watching Neophytes roared in laughter. Beur appeared at Nestor's elbow, the Chaplain as always was wearing his silver death mask, he looked down at the sprawled out Neophyte and then at Nestor.

"Brother. Supreme Commander O'Neill and Chapter Master Angelus request you presence." He turned to Lillia and the temperature seemed to drop. Beur disliked Lillia due to her status as a half Pariah and he detested McKay even more. The idea of the abomination that was their marriage offended him deeply. "They requested that you attend as well." Then he stormed off without a glance backwards.

"Well then, shall we get going?" Nestor asked with a smile as a small panel on his forearm retracted revealing a small key pad which he immediately began tapping at.

"Yes lets." Lillia replied forcing down the urge to lop a ball of lightning after the Chaplain. Her hand rested lightly on Nestor's massive shoulder for a moment before they disappeared into a blob of light.

The other, original, Neophytes wandered over to their new Brother as he finally regained control of his body and pulled himself to his feet. The young boy glanced up at the larger and taller Scouts and hung his head.

"Ah little Helo. You did well." Seeing the crestfallen new Neophyte Astaroth clapped the smaller boy on the shoulder. "She's a strong woman. We're impressed that you managed to even land a hit." Astaroth let out a sigh. "Reminds of a Sororitas I knew once."

Everyone but Helios seemed to be amused by that. "What's a Sororitas?" That only got the Scouts to laugh harder.

Nestor and Lillia appeared in a pillar of white light in the small alcove designated for people beaming in. The entire complex was shielded against all known forms of transport and teleport. Baltus had taken a liking to describing, in excruciating detail, the horrendous process of having you atoms scattered across the galaxy if anyone tried to breach it. Nestor was sure the young Tech-Marine was just a little giddy at the new technologies the Adeptus Mechanicus was churning out. He was shaken from his musings when the twin Railguns and a lonely Gauss Pulse Cannon tracked the two of them as they stepped forward into the Auspex's deep scan field.

"**Scan complete. Welcome… Lieutenant Colonel Lillia McKay. Welcome… Brother-Sergeant Nestor**." The Machine Spirits rumbled as the Armaplas doors opened letting them enter into the core of the Imperial Stargate Command.

The Adamantium plated walls were all polished to a dull shine making the entire place very disorientating to an outsider. Sprawling corridors, carved out of Dakara's bed rock by Tok'shek crystals, trailed away in all directions. There were no sings, no indication of where you were. If you couldn't access the Muninn then you would probably die wandering in circles. Nestor strode out of the transport terminal, his sub-space link to the Imperium wide information net silently and discreetly showing him the directions to take towards O'Neill's office.

The first clue that something was wrong was when they passed an Asgard, her name tag proclaimed her as Nanna, slumped against a wall staring blankly at the wall in front of her. Nestor shot Lillia a confused glance to which the woman just shrugged. "Nanna what's wrong?"

The still small, but bulkier than she had been, Asgard turned her slightly smaller black eyes to them and her fists bunched in the fabric of her uniform. "The things I have seen can never be unseen." The Asgard whispered before returning to staring at the wall rocking slightly.

Nestor threw open the heavy wooden door striding into O'Neill's office Bolt Pistol drawn. What greeted him was O'Neill's piercing glare and another two Asgard and a few Tech-Priest desperately fiddling with a tray of control crystals. "What's wrong?" The Space Marine asked, moving aside to allow Lillia to slip into the room.

O'Neill pointed upwards to the high ceiling where the flickering holographic shape of a raven was flying in circles. "He ate the internet."

"LOL!" One of the Asgard cried out in actual physical pain as the Muninn's voice cut through the room like a knife.

"God dam it! Will you shut up!" O'Neill roared up at the hologram, having been ignored for the better part of the day he was surprised when the image vanished only to reappear on his desk.

"All your base." The raven stated with finality. There was a moment pause before it screamed. "SPARTA!" And then vanished.

Blessed silence reigned for a moment before one of the Vanir Asgard turned to O'Neill. "You come from a twisted little planet. You know that?"

"Why do you think I'm here?" The Supreme Commander replied sarcastically, wondering how they were every going to get the crap that clogged up the Terran internet out of the Muninn.

"O'Neill why is Nanna having some form of psychotic break in the corridor?" Thor asked as he strode into the room.

The little grey alien was not so little or grey anymore. He was much bigger than a Generation II clone, almost the size of a normal Human and with an Asgard's stronger physique he could already outperform some Humans and his colouration had turned more towards pale white than grey. Tror was taking time to help his descendant re-learn how to control his strength; after all it had taken a team of Asgard working together to manually open a door no more than a few years ago. They were also trying to teach the Supreme Commander of the Asgard Remnant how to deal with having an active libido for the first time ever. It had... met with mixed success.

"I knew when you said the Muninn would be 'a little funny' it meant trouble, but for the life of me I never thought it would go meme crazy. Luckily only its personality has become erratic and that really only manifests in here. Someone introduced it to the Terran internet and when I find out who I'll have them skinned alive." A nervous chuckle escaped from some of the Tech-Priest before they realised he wasn't joking.

"Hugninn." Thor called out. A second later a new raven flickered into existence on O'Neill's desk. "Try and get Muninn to tone down its behaviour."

"I will try. But you see, I am incomplete." The bird said bowing its head to Thor.

"Just do it. You'll be finished one day." O'Neill groaned. The Machine Spirit was taking every opportunity to remind everyone that they hadn't actually finished it yet and it was getting on his nerves.

The raven turned its head to regard O'Neill and whispered. "Nevermore." And then it too vanished.

"Why I let you talk me into having sentient Machine Spirits I'll never know." O'Neill muttered at Thor as he sank into his large chair. The Asgard and Tech-Priests took that as their cue to leave and scurried out before any blame could be put on them.

"May I presume that you summoned us for a reason?" Nestor asked while lowering himself into one of the specially reinforced chairs designed to take his armoured bulk.

"Yes. Several more worlds have swung their support towards the Covenant. Violence between the Cult and Covenant is becoming epidemic with the smaller religions getting caught in the crossfire. The Ecclesiarchy is losing control of the situation and the Pacis Arx is not far behind them. According to Woolsey most Covenant controlled planets have begun to experience 'shortages' and are unable to meet their Tithes. While they aren't openly opposing us it's only a matter of time. There are overtures of open revolt on several of the more populous worlds and Federation interests in and around these Sectors have suddenly received… enhancements."

"That is most troubling O'Neill. But what can we do? You have delayed too long to attack them like we did the Order and we have yet to locate or infiltrate their high command. It will not be feasible to resolve this quickly with a military or Arx solution." Thor stated, cupping his chin in a decidedly Human gesture.

"I know. But I have a plan." O'Neill replied, sweeping his finger over a small indent on his control terminal. "Bring her in. And get the Furling."

A moment passed before the door was flung open and Angelus strode into the room holding a woman by her collar at arm's length. McKay drifted in behind him followed by the large brown bulk of the Furling's suit. The woman was wearing the hardened synthesised dark brown leather duster coat common in the Ida Colonies over a trimmed down I.G.L. Flack vest circa IY 3. Under that was a blackened chainmail shirt normally seen on the Jaffa of the Goa'uld Empire. Her trouser consisted of a pair of Lantean Sector fatigues with several, empty, holsters attached to the sides. Vanir made armoured boots covered her legs up to the knees but all their servos had been removed.

"Angelus what are you doing?" O'Neill almost growled as the Space Marine Captain came to a halt with the woman still held at arm's length.

"Making sure she doesn't steal anything." Angelus replied with a glare at his prisoner's head. "Again." He added as an offhand afterthought.

O'Neill groaned. "Vala Mal Doran do you know why you're here?"

Vala looked thoughtful for a moment, which looked ridiculous with her suspended off the floor by Angelus, before she tentatively answered. "It's something to do with that thing on Chodawwa… no, no everyone who knew about that is dead, um… Edowin. No. Eh, how about Anima Vitrus. I guess not; that was semi-legal. Vexitilia, has to be Vexitilia. I'm not telling you anything!" She proudly proclaimed with a playful grin.

"No, none of the above. You're here to help us with a little mission." O'Neill replied nodding for Angelus to let the woman down. He did so but kept a very wary eye on her, he still hadn't figured out how she got his Bolt Pistol and he was making damn sure it wouldn't happen again.

"What kind of mission?" Vala demanded her mind racing over possibilities, most of them involving her imminent demise.

"We simply want you to ferry around a small team under the guise of you crew. All we want is for you to introduce them to some Federation contacts." O'Neill continued in a deceptively friendly tone; if she refused they would find another Free Trader, maybe one not as skilled, but the Imperium had no shortage of them. A few here and there would not be missed.

"That's all? No stealing? No coercing? No assassinations? No assaulting high security targets without any hope of survival?" She sounded almost saddened by the mediocrity of the proposed job.

"Nope. Just take them where they need to go and show them who to talk too." O'Neill reassured her; he smirked slightly when she looked even more crestfallen.

"So what's the pay?" Vala could almost taste all those sweet, sweet, Credits.

"Standard shipping fare, room and board and a little extra for the information." O'Neill replied consulting the Muninn read out still a little leery at summoning the program itself. "About thirteen Credits in total per standard month."

Vala thought for a moment. When he said standard he really meant it, she pouted at the lack of 'special money' for it being a secret mission but relented none the less. Thirteen Credits could go a long way. "Deal." She replied primly.

"Good, you'll be taken to a hangar were your ship is being 'treated' by some of our Tech-Priests." O'Neill said with a smile, the door opened to reveal two H.M.I. in full Semi-Powered Armour Gauss Pulse Rifles at the ready.

They waited until the self-sealing door closed before they began to talk again. "So who's going on this little adventure?" McKay asked with mild interest.

O'Neill grinned at the man before he answered. "You, your other half, Magos Anise, Captain Nioskop and First Lieutenant Chaka." He ignored the glare from Angelus at the inclusion of two Xenos and the hanging jaw of McKay; it had been a long time since he had been deployed.

"May I ask as to why you decided to send out our most powerful weapon to SCOUT?" Nestor asked almost alarmed, leaning forward slightly in his seat. "No offence." He quickly added nodding to McKay.

"It's simple really. We lost a lot of intel on the Order because we couldn't get to them before they committed suicide. If the 'Scourge of the African Blocks' is on hand little to nothing will stop the team from getting what we want." O'Neill countered nodding at his own logic.

"A valid point if a little heavy handed. But from the way the Covenant moves I think it might be prudent." Thor said getting nods of agreement from the two Space Marines.

"Sir, why am I being sent along?" Lillia asked, it wasn't unusual for the two of them to be posted together but they had never gone on a combat mission as husband and wife.

"The Senate gets twitchy if McKay comes within a thousand light years of a possible combat zone. I need something to placate them, as always that's you. Levi and Cerberus are a bit too inconspicuous to go on a covert operation. And if I can say we have a Psyker on the ground they get off my back. It's just a miracle that you two are married; makes my life so much easier." O'Neill replied offhandedly before he turned to Belshanior. "Tell them about this 'vision'."

The Furling's spidery legs quivered and the sky blue eyes seemed to flash. "We shall sing a chorus into the sky. An everlasting wailing. Watch it turn black and flood this world. It soars above us. A beautiful vastness. A perfect death mask. The long dark Clouds descend. It is a transgression; do you see?"

"You're basing everything off our Furling's ramblings? Isn't that ... a little foolish?" Angelus grumbled, barely preventing himself from saying 'insane', ignoring the way the Furling narrowed its eyes at him.

O'Neill sighed and for a moment he looked truly old. "Maybe, but I've seen too many things go wrong not to err on the side of caution."

"True." Angelus conceded with a grunt. "So what do you want the Sons of Sol to do?"

"Take the _Emperor's Light_ on manoeuvres with as many Marines you think you can get away without causing trouble. Pop up all over the place, be random, but try and drift towards Pegasus. If you can 'accidently' join in with the War Games that the 33rd Terran Legion is participating in it that would be best. But most of all try and be discreet." O'Neill ordered rolling his eyes as Angelus scowled at the need to be tactful.

"You have a talent for giving the most impossible orders." Nestor chuckled as he followed his Captain out. Thor followed the two; he needed to prepare the Remnant for war.

The Furling swept its gaze over the remaining Human and semi-Humans its six eyes examining each of them in detail. "The Wind must be like the Sea. The Sea was patient. It could wait. It wore down the Iron; and the Forests; and the Mountains. The whole of the world. The Sea always won. You must wait."

* * *

"What do you think you are doing?" The Battleprior demanded as he strode into one of the many sanctums aboard the _Apocalypse Rising_. The ship's apothecary was filled with the bodies of Blessed Paladins awaiting Resurrection and the two Priors had locked themselves in a secluded room.

The two Priors turned to face him carefully stepping out of the circle of flames that covered the floor. "We are preparing to use one of the Four Spells." The larger Prior replied with a thin smile as he turned back to the ring of fire.

The Battleprior was shocked and it showed on his face. The larger Prior chuckled before stepping back into the circle. "But they haven't been used since the Second Crusade. How do you even know the incantations, never mind the spell array?" The Battleprior asked, staring down at the ring of flames as a complex pattern began to grow across the ground.

"It came to me while you were on the planet. I believe the Ori wish us to teach the Great Enemy about dread." The elder Prior responded with a small smirk. "We must show them why they should fear US."

"Do as you will. Once you are finished begin Resurrecting the Blessed Paladins. I shall go and interrogate the prisoner and report to the Seers." The Battleprior responded turning to leave the room.

"Ah yes. That thing…" The older Prior almost spat the word. "… you brought back form the planet. I did not think the Battlepriors of the Ori Ascendancy were riven by mercy." The Prior's voice took on a darker tone and the Battleprior could almost feel the man's sneer. "Or do you simply wish to… indulge yourself? It is rather fetching."

The Battleprior stormed out of the room the walls groaning with his fury.

"Ah, the quick temper of youth." The portly Prior joked Willing the large windows of the sanctum open.

"This is not the time for prattle. The Four Spells should not be used lightly." The other Prior responded with a glare. During the Second Crusade they had done almost unreal levels of damage to both their enemies and the Ascendancy. It was the price to pay when one trespassed upon the realm of the Gods.

"Then shall we begin the Path of Wrath." Was the Prior's response, his face losing its jolly quality.

"Oh Lords; thy wrath shall be loosed upon this world. The heavens and the earth shall be moved." The flaming pattern on the floor flared as the Prior began. The fires seemed to solidify as if they were trapped in ice.

"Thou will judge this world. The cursed shall be rebuked, sentenced to acrid flames. Deliver unto me thou blessing." An unnatural wind swept through the room as both Priors poured Will into the Spell their eyes shut tightly as they mustered all their strength for what was to come. Flames licked at the hems of their robes as the pure power of the Sea of Souls began to filter into the Spell.

"For I tremble, and I fear the judgment and the wrath to come; when the heavens and the earth shall be moved. A day of wrath, a day of calamity and glory; a great and wondrous day, indeed." Sweat poured off the two as the rooms temperature skyrocketed and the flames were released from whatever had held them frozen in time to grow ever larger.

"Grant them eternal torments, Oh Lords, and may perpetual darkness swallow them. And their souls be set in unyielding bonds. Thine hour of victory come round at last." The two Empyrean Staffs began to glow with the brilliance of a star as the flames flickered lower now as the Spell neared completion.

The older Prior opened his eyes and focused on a point above the Great Enemy's city. "Laken!" He announced slamming his Empyrean Staff into the ground extinguishing its light.

If one were to look at it, it would appear as if a chunk of the universe simply ceased to exist. But one cannot look upon the effects of the Path of Wrath and hope to remain sane. The orb of darkness appeared several hundred feet above the ruined Imperial city. It shone with a black light that was simply wrong as it hung in the air. With a sound like the heartbeat of a god it pulsed, once, and expanded exponentially. The boundary swept outwards in the blink of an eye swallowing the entire city in an instant. For an eternity it sat like that, a dark and forbidden zone, and then it collapsed. The sphere shrunk to the size of an atom leaving behind a deep crater in the planet's crust as if it had been struck with a meteor. Then the ball exploded.

Every Imperial settlement was eradicated as a wall of fire and dust swept around the globe only to collide on the far side. The surface was burned clean, the soil turned to glass only to be shattered by the raging inferno. Tectonic plates cracked and moved as they were bent and compressed sending the planets volcanic systems into overdrive. A plume of lava erupted from the now kilometre deep crater as the planet desperately vented. Mountain ranges were battered down and oceans flash boiled before the firestorm finally began to slow down. The planet's surface became obscured under a cloud of dust and ash leaving an ugly black and brown orb where a green and blue jewel had once been. Darkness settled over the world as even the System's star was blocked from view.

The two Priors were on their hands and knees sucking in deep breaths as their bodies trembled with the strain of what they had just done. Blood leaked from his eyes and nose but the elder Prior still grinned like a maniac as streaks of lightning the length of a continent rippled through the dust cloud and the momentary, dull red, flashes of erupting volcanoes managed to piece the shroud.

"An offering."

* * *

"Sergeant Major Greer!" O'Neill called out across the massive starport. Hailey trailed just behind him watching as the second wave of Landers began to break through the clouds.

"Sir." Greer replied snapping off a parade ground salute. "To what do I, and my mean band of misfits, owe the pleasure?"

"We're not here for you." O'Neill replied snorting at the name Greer and his H.M.I. Squad had taken. "Me and my lovely assistant are to be attached to the 33rd."

"You? With the FNGs? Why?" Greer seemed to be caught between amusement and exasperation.

"I don't know. I think I pissed the Old Man off again." O'Neill answered with a sigh. His face hardened as he looked around at the starport. "Greer, is it just me, or is there a lot of troops coming through today?"

"I've been wondering about that sir. You just missed an entire Hoffan Clone Legion. Scuttle bug is that we're all going on War Games. But over there…" He nodded towards a secluded spot beside a rank of Battletanks a small frown growing across his brow. "… real life Reetou Termination Squad. Never seen one of those bugs out for a 'play' before."

Hailey spun round. She had never seen a Reetou before only read after action reports. She could just make out their huge armoured insectiod bodies and the glowing red of their eyes as they flickered in and out of phase. The Imperium's phase technology was improving but it was still a little unstable. The Termination Squads were rumoured to be nearly unstoppable infiltration and assassination units. You needed to know they were there and then go get a Transphase Eradication Rod to even see them never mind fight them. In most cases they were long gone by the time proper equipment was brought in. O'Neill chuckled darkly at her enthusiasm. He remembered all too well how much damage a Reetou Squad could do.

"And, sir, over their next to Jormungands; Asgard." Greer continued his voice a barely audible hiss.

This time it was O'Neill that turned. Next to the motorised Particle Whips were two heavily armoured figures. He recognised the Vanir made bio-suit instantly from his time on Hel. The two Asgard were consulting over an Auspex in the taller one's hand both nodded to each other and moved to the next Jormungand, a shiver ran down his spine. It was always a bad sign if the Asgard were geared up for a fight. A slight distortion caught his attention beside the two armoured figures before a Nox shifted into view. His eyes widened as the Nox started to converse with the Asgard. If the Old Man had brought in a Nox, probably Awyn, to help then he knew what they were here for.

Looked like the Covenant had overstepped their bounds one time too many.

He was broken from his thoughts and slight sense of relief when he heard shouting erupt from were the first of the 33rd Terran Legion was being unloaded. "What's that Greer?"

"Genii scum sir. Genii scum." Greer leaned in closer and rather unsubtly whispered. "Why didn't we just, you know, finish what the Expedition started?"

"Not all the Genii are miktas Greer. Plus we needed their skill set and contacts when we took over Pegasus." O'Neill answered as he started to walk towards the disturbance. Greer just snorted.

"Fragged. Fragged. Fragged. Fragged. Yotz she's good looking!" The Genii stopped to watch a particularly small Asian man march past. Sniggering erupted amongst the group. "Look out boy they're gonna eat you alive!" One of them shouted gesturing at the Reetou.

"Gentlemen what the frak are you doing?" O'Neill asked with a forced friendliness. Teasing the FNGs was fun and all but the Genii were making a nuisance of themselves.

"Frag you. We're just playing with the poor scared little Terry tenderfeet." One of the Genii replied abruptly not stopping his clapping as one of his friends attempted to chat up a female Sergeant.

"You can't!..." Hailey was silenced as O'Neill placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I can do whatever the yotz I feel like. Is that acce… Oh frag it's you!" The Genii Legionnaire shouted having finally turned around to face the people he was conversing with.

"Yup, it's me." O'Neill replied smiling as the entire Genii Squad turned to face him. "Now run." He added giving them the glare Angelus had taught him. The seven Genii probably would have outpaced a Chimera as they raced away.

"Why didn't you punish them? They were disrupting the 33rd's deployment." Hailey questioned as she followed O'Neill towards were the second wave of Landers was finally beginning to unload.

"I guess I should teach you some of the ropes. Our job as Representatives is to keep everything running smoothly not run it ourselves. If you wanted a command then you should have stuck with the I.G.L. or tried to get into the H.M.I. Our powers are reserved for the battlefields were we can get stuck into the thick of the fighting unlike the higher ranking officers. I'll report them to their Company's Captain and he'll dish out punishment as he sees fit and then it's all legit. If we pounce on every little infraction we will probably end up in a ditch with a knife in our backs. A lot of the factions that resent Terra's influence in the Imperium don't take kindly to a Terran Representative ordering them around. Second if my gut's right we'll need them sooner rather than later." O'Neill answered as he watched a Squadron of Railgun armed Lantea pattern Sentinels come bounding out of their Lander.

Hailey nodded thoughtfully as she followed in O'Neill's wake not paying much attention as the Cohort II, a formation dedicated to armoured fighting, of the 33rd Terran Legion unloaded around her. Above them a Squadron of I-301As raced overhead before banking towards the planetary capital with the wine of their anti-gravity engines the only sound of their passing.

"O'Neill." A deep voice rumbled over the growling of a line of Exterminator Battletanks which was led by a Windraker. Turning O'Neill caught sight of a flash of dark skin and gold amongst the throng of marching I.G.L. Legionnaires.

"Teal'c what's up buddy?" Noticing the unbelieving stare of Hailey he switched into a more formal tone. "Sector Commander Teal'c how are you?"

"I am well O'Neill. But there is much we need to discuss." Teal'c replied smiling at the young clone he had come to like just as much as the original.

* * *

The thing at his feet sobbed as it whispered out the same lines of meaningless sounds it had been repeating since before he arrived. It might have even been pretty if it had been a real Human. Several of the crew had been here before him already cuts and bruises marred its body and the shredded remains of the Great Enemy's uniform barley clung to its form. The Prior that had created the Order had truly culled the worst psychopaths and maniacs the Great Enemy's filthy society could produce. It filled him with joy to see a symbol of the Great Enemy defaced in such a base way. The heretic's hands were bound behind it and the metal had been Willed into the floor of the prison forcing it to stay kneeling. A smile graced his aged face as the heavy door sealed shut behind him.

"Such a worthless thing you are." He muttered as the heretic began her little chant again. The stone in his Empyrean Staff flickered and a powerful blow slammed into her gut. The woman doubled over coughing dryly as the Will of the Prior shut down her ability to breathe for a few seconds.

His smile widened as he allowed her to breathe again, the sounds of her desperate panting are more gratifying than he could ever had imagined. "You will tell me everything you know." The Prior stated tapping the end of his Empyrean Staff into the ground.

The woman's head snapped back as an invisible blow slammed into her face before a force came down on her left leg. A high pitched scream echoed through the room, much to the Prior's enjoyment, as the sound of snapping bones resonated from underneath the heretic. In the corners of the room a wind began to flow and swirl. The Prior let out a bark of laughter as he tapped the Empyrean Staff to the heretic's head. Light exploded from the woman's mouth and eyes as she threw her head back and screamed. The Prior chuckled as he held the pain in the things mind until it teetered on the brink of consciousness. The wind in the corners became stronger and stronger until it started to hiss and murmur with impossible voices.

Abruptly the Prior stopped when his heightened senses felt another presence in the room. He looked around trying to find the source of the feeling. He was about to launch another attack when a voice whispered nearly undetectably into his ear and the faint murmuring in the background increased. The Prior shook off the sensation in favour of continuing his game. But the pleasure had gone out of it; with a snarl the Prior focused his Will around the heretic's chest and squeezed. The gasping woman moaned as it became harder and harder to breathe again. She could feel her ribs beginning to fail under the strain. The Prior grinned as he felt a spider web of fracture race through the heretic's ribs some even extending into her shoulder blades and spine. Another voice louder this time hissed in his ear and the small background noise that he had dismissed as the magicks of the ship picked up in intensity and volume. It was like standing in a room full of whispering choirs.

"Who's there!" He roared into the gathering noise.

The silence was abrupt and total. It hung in the air like mist suffocating him before a voice like glass shattering whispered into his mind. "We are the shadows between seconds."

"We are the darkness amongst the stars." Another voice, this time more like a howling storm, snapped out.

"Less than a whisper or a thought." A third voice hissed as he felt something breathe on his neck.

The Prior whirled round only to find the bare grey walls of the prison. With a roar he brought his Empyrean Staff down on the shoulder of the chained woman at his feet. There was a sickening pop as he shoulder was dislocated but she only let a pathetic moan as her eyes rolled back into her head.

The Prior was breathing heavily as the fog momentarily cleared from his mind and he took in all the damage he had done. He Willed the woman back into consciousness listening intently to the little whimpers and groans she made. They made him feel strangely happy. "Do you enjoy this?" He snarled as the three voices returned their question overlapping and mingling together.

"Her terror?" The first rumbled.

"Her pain?" Growled the second.

"Her sorrow?" Whispered the third.

"Be gone!" The Prior screamed franticly turning in circles as the shadows once again began to dance and move. "I will NOT suffer you existence!"

"Does it bring you pleasure?" The first voice asked seemingly amused by the Priors commands.

"Does it fill the hole in your soul?" The second voice snarled and spat the words but at the same time it whispered and taunted.

"Does it EXCITE you?" The third voice howled almost in pleasure; the Prior shuddered at the truth of its words.

The Light of the Ori dimmed in his mind; for the first time since he had become a Prior that ethereal flame of gold and silver and a thousand other colours he couldn't describe began to recede into the distance of the Empyrean. A scream of primal terror leapt from the Prior's throat. Fear and madness settled into his mind and he turned to the only thing his mind could focus on. The heretic.

He cast aside his Empyrean Staff and the powers of his Will in favour of his bare hands. The fist crashed into the woman's face her head snapping to the side; unfortunately for her the Prior had become far too weak over his long easy life to break bones in a single hit. It would be a long time before a blow would kill her.

"That's right; make her suffer." The voices returned as the Prior awkwardly kicked his victim in the side.

"Make her beg." Whispered the third, hissing in joy as punch turned claw tore away a few of the remaining vestiges of cloths.

"Make her weep." The first voice chuckled deeply as it settled into the deepest recesses of the Prior's thoughts.

"Make her despoiled." The third voice sounded almost giddy as it dulled the Prior's mind to the world and unleashed ideas and images into the Prior's crumbling psyche.

"Make her scream!" The first voice bellowed as the air seemed to solidify into a muggy haze and hoarfrost grew in the far corners.

"Make her BLEED!" The room shuddered as the second voice screamed in fury and joy. The voice burned inside his mind like primal hellfire was trying to rip its way out of his soul. Shadows darkened, some even looking like solid stone, overhead wisps of fire flickered and faded while shapes of indescribable geometry danced and twirled in an insane waltz within the gathering dark.

The Prior stopped, not because he was finished but because his body could no longer keep up. He drew in several deep breaths of the thick air taking its sickly sweetness deep into him. "Do you want more? Oh, the things we could show you." The first voice sounded almost smug.

A feeling of excitement filled him as the third voice spoke again. "The things you would experience."

"The things you could do." The second voice almost whispered its voice still burning hot within his mind.

The Prior kicked out at the woman. The blow connected with her head sending her crashing to the side; blessed darkness finally taking her.

"Say the Words. Just say the Words." The first pleaded stroking the Prior's mind almost lovingly.

"The Words." The second snapped suddenly losing interest in the Prior.

"The Words you've known all your life." The third hissed while it danced along the Prior's nerves revelling in the sensations of the Materium.

"What! What are you talking about!" The Prior screamed into the air, tears pouring from his eyes as he felt his skin trying to crawl away from his body.

"Go on." The first growled as the Prior hesitated. The old man's breathing hitched as the dancing shadows solidified into a single dark mass that was filled with almost imperceptible snarls and hisses.

"Go on! Do it!" The second growled. The blood splatter that had collected on the floor and walls began to flow into a single pool gathering at the Prior's feet. The crimson liquid swirled and bubbled like it was boiling as the pool shrank even further.

"B…" The Prior whispered clenching his jaw shut.

"Do it!" Snapped the third voice suddenly harsh and cruel. The bubbling blood shot upwards in a pillar of solid vermillion; from the wax like substance a handle emerged presented towards the Prior.

"Bloo…" The words vomited from his mouth before he could stop himself.

"Do it!" Whispered the first as the Prior grasped a hold of the handle feeling the seemingly solid substance shift and move like a liquid beneath his grasp. Pulling out the blade he revealed a sword of blackest metal inlayed with runes burning with an unreal, fiery light.

"Blood… for…" The Prior ground out against his will as he raised the blade above his head.

"DO IT!" Howled the second as the blade of blood descended towards the woman's exposed neck.

Suddenly the voices were gone, the fog that had clouded the Light of the Ori was gone, the compulsion to cut the woman's head off was gone and the Prior was left a shivering wreck. The blood sword collapsed into its true form drenching the Prior in the coagulating red liquid.

He heard the door hiss open behind him and whirled round to face the opening only for his stomach to protest the action. Unit 066 snarled in disgust as the Prior emptied his gut at its feet. The Blessed Paladin's eyes narrowed as it took in the blood drenched Prior and the near comatose heretic on the floor. The Prior straightened and looked into the reflective eyes of the Unit. The Blessed Paladin was helmetless and missing most of its peripheral Vestments its short black hair, or more accurately the thin calamus, framing its face. The high collar snapped backwards on its magicks revealing the Blessed Paladin's mouth turned upwards in a sneer its fangs jutting out over its lips.

"What do you want?" The Prior snapped, trying to ignore the way the things eyes bore into him or its incredibly sharp teeth or claws.

Unit 066 turned its head slightly to the side its eyes never leaving the Prior. The old man sneered with as much dignity as he could muster and Willed his Staff into his hands. With a pride filled nod he strode from the room the Blessed Paladin's eyes burning a hole into his back the entire time.

Once the robed figure cleared its sight it turned back towards the heretic on the floor. She was breathing steadily but several ugly bruises were beginning to blossom across her bare torso. The Blessed Paladin moved forward tasting the wrongness in the air and sampling unnatural heat in the substance of the room. The heretic, even in her sleeping state, whimpered and tried to wriggle away from the approaching feet. Unit 066's sneered turned into a thin line and a frown appearing across its face as it observed the damage the Prior and Order crew had inflicted. This would not do. The Battleprior had ordered that she be kept at least alive, preferably sane and lucid. It could tell that some of the Order scum tried to violate those commands. While it couldn't do anything to the Prior it could deal with the Humans. An idea flashed across the Empyrean and several of the Order crew found out just how effective the teeth of a Blessed Paladin were.

Settling into a squat it ran a clawed finger along a fractured rib feeling out all the tiny cracks and dents in the bone, the calamus on its head quivered making a hissing noise as the heretic flinched away from its touch. Unit 066 exerted a small amount of Will and felt the weak Human bones begin to knit together again. It expanded its focus, its hand becoming wreathed in the bright light of its Will, repairing as much of the extensive damage as it could. The heretic let out a whimper of relief and sucked down a greedy gulp of air as the light faded from the Blessed Paladin's hand. Unit 066 settled back into its crouch its eyes never leaving the face of the heretic. It was so engrossed that it never noticed a lonely shadow, which was just ever so slightly darker than the rest, flicker and vanish.

The eldest Prior just managed to round a corner before an unseen force smashed him into the ground. Once again a fog settled into his mind, no matter how hard he fought it dug deeper and deeper into him. "You can never escape us." The second voice spat into his mind.

"Forever and ever and ever." The first voice crooned mockingly when the Prior flinched.

"We are inside you." The third voice hissed; it began laughing in a high pitched voice as the Prior feebly tried to push it away.

"In your flesh."

"In your heart."

"In your thoughts."

"We are in your SOUL!" All three roared warping the walls with their power and fury turning the metal an angry red. A single fracture raced across the surface of the stone in his Empyrean Staff.

And then they were gone.


	5. Passing Through Eden

"Normal speech."

"**Gothic around non-Imperials**."** And betas Answers**

"Mental Links."

"_Ship Names_."

* * *

Lord Of the Blood Moon: I'm twisting the rules slightly and making the Daemons more Judo-Christian than they appear in 40k which means while Slaanesh won't ever exist Chaos can still use lust/hedonism as a lure. _The cosmos cries out for salvation. _

Darth nylon544: Well hopefully this chapter helps, if only slightly. _Obedience is blind._

1) Not hundreds of casualties. There are only a hundred of them and to be fair they went up against a force fifteen times their size and won. That's the feel I'm going for. Both sides have such advanced weaponry that armour is rendered practically useless. If you get hit you dead, no excuses. In the Ori's defence all their equipment is rated against First Imperium Lasguns and Bolters not the Second Imperium's upgraded versions. The Elucidator Cruiser is the 'speed' of the Ascendancy's fleet and was purpose built to out manoeuvre its Imperial counterparts. **Also while fast and nimble its still inferior to zerfarim Ships in terms of grace, which in turn are better than Asgard and imperium Ships and so on. Simply put: dofferent concepts. The Imperium builds "wade through fire and kill the opponent" ships mostly. ** That and a Nova Cannon armed Vajar Frigate is quite slow compared to its less heavily armed brethren.

2) O'Neill, much to Angelus's chagrin, tends to treat all races as equal unless they attacked Humans in the past. However with the exception of the few really trusted ones, like the Asgard, Unas and Reetou, they are ruled over by an Imperial appointed Human. This is mostly because a lot of races hold deep grudges against the Goa'uld and Jaffa, and this sometimes gets transferred over to the 'face' of their oppressors the Human hosts. The Xeno to Human ratio is screwed up because the Goa'uld and Wraith have the tendency to kill things they don't need and the Replicators just kill everybody. There are simply not enough of them to warrant a fully controlled anything.

3) I guess, I thought you just meant on her own. Anyway the idea has never crossed his mind, which is surprising considering how much he loved to contemplate his own demise before he became a hybrid. McKay's a bit odd like that.

4) Servitors are still active and used mostly because it's cheaper to enhance a Human body than build a fully functioning A.I. which are still frowned upon by some of the Ad Mech. Plus it makes a very threatening punishment. Weir has power to make executive decisions if the need arises and she can 'suggest' things to the Lantea System forces. They still get called Tech-priests in conversation because, well the Purists get all up in arms about their title while the Reformists see it as a dig at their rivals and the Omniscientists just don't care as long as you give them shiny things to play with.

5) I think (hope) the twist I'm going to put on that is good. Actual Terrans as Governors is rarer now that it was at the Imperium's founding but a lot of the IOA people are still in place. Most of the more advanced worlds basically run themselves like they have for the last couple hundreds of years the Governor, Terran or otherwise, just keep the cogs turning. There are no free nations, asides from the Nox and Zerfàrim, because Angelus sees it as an affront to the Great Crusade. That and he likes a job to be 'finished!' when its finished.

6) I have a plan. Kind of. I'll make sure to make the design a lot more convoluted this time round.

7) It varies. Oh lord how it varies. A Jaffa can live up to two hundred years, an Agiman on the other hand will die before he reaches sixty. Khione is just that bad, Asgard bodies can live for about half a millennium and Harlan and his lot are effectively immortal. However the average healthy Human lifespan is about a century, give or take. I've included a sort of answer to this in the chapter as a window into Imperial morality. The long and short is; they wanted to 'clean house' as it were and the fastest way to do that is to remove the problem.

Reikson: Yup. Not quite Chaos Undivided and not quite sworn to a single god. _Death be thy compass. _

Alpha Omega Protocol: You have no idea. Eventually you'll get to see just how much is at stake and the consequences of failure. Yeah, advanced/evolved Human = Psyker in my book. The Others and the Ori although they won't admit it are terrified of the prospect of a fully Warp born god. The battle would probably destroy all of creation. _Doubts rule the minds of the weak._

Andy-025: Thanks. _I shall not fear the storm. It shall fear me._

Sdarian: Pretty much but it's been in the works for a long time. _We cannot afford mercy. _

Some101: Everything will be revealed with time. You just have to be patent. While Slaanesh will never exist Chaos can and will still use decadence as a ploy. _There is no arguing with the barrel of a gun. _

Xanthors: Thank you very much, I'm glad that you enjoyed it so much and hope that it still entertains you. _All men are not born equal._

* * *

**Heresy Through the Wormhole Part 1: This Impure World – Passing Through Eden**

* * *

**Well here we are. Sorry for the interruption but I had my Honours entrance exams for most of January (kicked serious ass; in line for a first or at least a two-one if I keep it up) and I've been house/job hunting ever since (and we've been failing miserably). The main delay for this chapter was because it was so hard to write. Little to nothing happens but it (at least I think it does) adds a little more depth to the Second Imperium world and the characters in it. The entire chapter is mostly just character development with a few plot advancements scattered within. Plus it is long! Anyhow, things should kick off soon and then it just spirals. Up or down depends on your preference. Enjoy.**

**Also I, the Beta, had rather big amounts of stress when the chapter "came by" to be Betaed in Febuary. So don't dump all the Blame on Him Who Writes This Story. ;)**

* * *

It had been relatively easy to bride off the Federation convoys. Easier still to take out or capture the few independent Free Traders that insisted on defying them. After that sabotaging the Beam Constructors was child's play with the local Pacis Arx tied down supressing the food riots. Getting the local Preachers and Chaplains to work the populace up into a frenzy took little more than some aggressive recruiting and threats. Taking the Planetary Governor's family hostage was just a precautionary step by this point; the fires of a revolt were lit they just needed a direction. Tsunchien had been colonised with the left overs form the yearlong Wraith cull. It was a mishmash of cultures and traditions forced together because it was simpler than trying to reconstruct their homeworlds. With the Imperium focused on the Replicon Wastes and the Ida Colonies the world had been stuck trying desperately to carve out a living. An easy target if they played their hand right; resentment of Terrans already ran deep in the populace.

With the deployment of over four new Legions and several Regiments of High Mobile Infantry in or near the Covenant's sphere of influence in response to their refusal to pay the Tithes the Cardinal had decided to see just how the Imperium would react when the time came. Manoeuvring an already dissenting world, one of many the Covenant was secretly juggling, into open revolt especially with the general climate of indiscriminate paranoia and anxiety was to serve as that test.

The two Apostles in the room wore Flack Armour, its normal Imperial forest green colour replaced with the silver on midnight black of the Covenant. The twin headed eagles had been vigorously removed and replaced with the icon of the Covenant; the closed eye of the Sleeping God within the octagon of the universe. Both were armed with out-dated Laspistols and the one near the door held a Mossberg 500 shotgun loosely in his hands. The Pacis Arx guard was face down in a pool of her own blood a Vibroknife buried to the hilt in her back.

The Governor was a woman and Pegasus-born two things that were very rare to find in their galaxy. The Apostle leaning over her desk pushed a small data slate forward a grin dripping with malicious cheer etched on his face.

"Hurry up." The one with the shotgun hissed. "I can hear things getting good out there." He motioned to the large windows and the noise of the mob beyond them.

"Shut up." The other Apostle spat back. "Now you heard the man Governess. Read out the statement and we'll give your family back safe and sound. If you don't…" The man shrugged nodding slightly towards the body of the Arxs on the floor.

The woman glanced down at the data slate and back up to the Apostle. Before she could refuse the man held up his Laspistol and she trembled uncontrollably when it was placed flush with her forehead. Reaching over the Apostle activated the built in Vox on the desk.

"I… I… I here… here by authorise… dead…" The Apostle grew frustrated with her stammering and jammed the pistol's barrel hard into the Governess's head. "…deadly force to be used to suppress the rioters!"

Both the Apostles waited until the Vox was deactivated to even move. "See that wasn't so hard." The leaning man said before he shot the Governess between the eyes.

The square outside the Governor's building was a seething mass of plain clothed civilians. At the front they repeatedly and violently slammed into a thin line of Pacis Arx, fully armoured in their matt black Unpowered Armour, only to be repulsed through gratuitous use of Armaplas shields and Shock Mauls. The actual act of the Arxs defending themselves only seemed to push the dissenters deeper into their rage. Around the edges of the mob random vandalism ensued as the rioters unable to vent their frustrations on the Arxs attacked the other Imperial administrative buildings. The front of the Administratum zone was burning people streaming from its shattered windows and torn down doors. The Ordo Pacis Arxs headquarters was fairing slightly better, its heavily armoured doors and Armaplas windows resisting the civilians' attempts to breach it.

The moment the Governor's words had been whispered into his ear he had almost frozen. Was the woman mad? As another salvo of homemade projectiles slammed home against the Armaplas shield in his hand; he took the moment between volleys to order his squads to disregard the Governor.

Too late. Almost before the Governor's speech had finished one of his Arx unloaded a clip from their Browning L9A1 felling two youths and clipping an older greying woman. The 9mm rounds tore through the civilians sending them crumpling to the group like puppets with their stings cut.

A stunned silence settled over the crowd for a moment and fearful muttering erupted amongst the thin line of Pacis Arx as the entire mob seemed to take in a startled breath. A bestial scream of pain erupted from somewhere in the back of the mob and broke the momentary silence. Section 1 of the Pacis Arx was the lowliest and normally greenest of recruits; they were all young and inexperienced, none of them ready to stare down a frenzied mob. Almost as one the armoured Arxs took a slight step backwards. The unintentional sign of weakness snapped what little restraint the mob had and the rioters surged forward intent on tearing apart the symbol of their oppression.

Panicked as the screaming horde bore down on them the Arxs began firing indiscriminately into the mob. Before they could even empty their clips the first few of them were dragged down and practically torn apart. Vibroknifes, Shockmauls and in some cases Power weapons were drawn and used with reckless abandon. The Commander tore his knife free as a screaming youth collapsed to the ground holding the debilitating, but nonlethal, wound to his gut. He slammed his Armaplas shield into another charging rioter flooring the girl in a single hit and kicked the Vibroknife away from her prone form as she cradled her broken nose. To his left some idiot opened up with a Lasgun on full auto carving out a small sphere of death around him for a few seconds before the power pack ran dry. Not even the Carapace Armour could save him form the mob's wrath.

"Fall back!" The Commander roared into his comm-bead as another of his Arx fell most of the man's face torn away.

A bloodthirsty roar rose from the mob as the Arx retreated into the Governor's building. The Commander paused to look out over the capital as smoke began to stream up into the air. How had everything gone so bad so quickly?

He died with that very same though on his mind.

A loud rumbling echoed through the square shaking the buildings to their very foundations and then a second sun was born on the planet's surface as the plasma reactors detonated taking the entire Governor's building, Ordo Pacis Arx headquarters and the entire Administratum zone with it.

* * *

"Lillia, what's this?" McKay asked holding up a slightly curved rod of what felt like plastic but he could tell was something else. He could feel the complex crystalline circuitry underneath and it intrigued him.

"Oh! I was looking for that." The redhead replied, leaning over her kitbag and grabbing the item out of McKay's hand.

"But what is it?" McKay whined while packing his own bag even if it was only for show.

Lillia shot Rodney's expectant face a worried glance, she had no desire to see him uncomfortable or in pain. She sighed and sent a mock glare at him as she held out the rod in her hand. It was easier to humour him when he saw a shiny new gadget. With a bright flash of light a blade, about forty centimetres in length, composed of thousands of writhing forks of red lightning sprang into life.

McKay flinched back at the unexpected display of Warp power. His powers automatically repressed themselves trying to flee from the wrongness that seemed to seep from the blade. But unfortunately for his C'tan side his Human curiosity got the better of him and he lunged forward to examine this newest piece of Psyker technology.

The blade of red lightning snapped off with a hiss the moment McKay touched it and Lillia let him take the device. She suppressed the laughter that threatened to break free when she noticed that Rodney's legs had partially phased through the bed in his hurry to examine the Immaterium Blade. She smiled at his intense expression, her hand unconsciously drifting to her midriff. The last month or so her Replicon cells had been acting oddly and she had only just figured out why. She had resolved not to tell Rodney until after this mission or he might have encased her in Plasteel and vaporised anything larger than an atom that came to close. He could be almost stupidly overprotective sometimes but she found it endearing. With another glance at Rodney's enraptured face she resumed packing with a content smile on her face. It was good to see him get worked up over things; he could become so detached it scared her sometimes.

"Belshanior helped make them. He gave me the first one and said I might need it for the future." Lillia explained as she donned the last of her Free Trader disguise. The classic Ida duster coat was surprisingly light and roomy. It did wonders to help disguise her deactivated and compressed Semi-Powered Armour.

"Ah, now I see." McKay muttered as he ran his fingers over plastic like substance again.

His Lantean bionics watched as Lillia returned to her packing. It still confused him slightly why she had picked the awkward insensitive recluse. She was beautiful enough to get almost any man, the Replicons had seen to that, but she had chosen him. Well whatever the reason she was the core of his world. His wife was a source of constant support and strength; it was she that kept him even grounded, she constantly reminded him of the value of Human life. But most of all she was the only one that could even remotely understand.

A loud bang came from the door and with a flick of his hands the large Plasteel sheet slid silently into the wall. First Lieutenant Chaka stood in the doorway, proudly dressed in Unpowered Armour with a Chainsword at his waist and a Plasmagun slung across his back. The reptilian Xeno bowed his head deeply to McKay being careful to not stray a single inch over the threshold and held out a small fragment of Trinium. McKay hesitantly took the silvery metal and held out his own hand, a small double helix, inlayed with Necrontyr black stone, arm band forming from his Necrodermis. The semi-sentient metal deactivated as it detached from its master forever, taking its new shape until ordered otherwise. Chaka took the impossibly strong but light piece of jewellery and examined it with fear in his yellow eyes. McKay sighed and pressed the trinket against the Unas's arm. The metal shifted like liquid as it passed across Chaka's scales only to reform perfectly on the other side. The Unas shivered but nodded his thanks regardless.

"Chaka zoe. No na ka cha kreeka taar kor tok kada." Chaka growled in the deep voice of his species keeping his eyes averted less he accidentally challenge this impossibly strong Alpha.

"Ka nay, ko aka a ta ma kan ka nayO ka cha." McKay replied smoothly patting the still young Unas on the shoulder the translator in the Necrodermis effortlessly turning his words into Unas.

Chaka nodded slightly and hurried away from the McKay's room. "It's time to go. So disguises?" McKay asked as he let the large Plasteel door shut.

"Well…" Lillia closed her eyes and concentrated on trying to become someone else. She and Rodney had worked long and hard to give her some form of functional control over her Replicon cells. Her skin tone darkened form her natural snow white to almost olive in colour and with a slight flick of her head her bright red hair turned almost perfectly black from the roots up. "…what do you think?" She asked giving Rodney a small twirl.

"Very nice." McKay nodded before his own body rippled and shifted the Necrodermis taking on the form he had in his mind's eye. Lillia blinked once before she burst out laughing. "What!" McKay demanded scowling at her, which only made her laugh harder.

"You look like a miniature Angelus." Lillia proclaimed. McKay glanced down and sure enough he was built like a tank. His shoulders seemed to end half a meter away and he couldn't see past his massive Necrodermis pectorals. He could even feel the semi-sentient metal on his face harden into a permanent scowl like it was the most natural thing in the world. A command and his body shrunk slightly still keeping the bulging muscle, to help disguise his inhuman strength, but not as ridiculous as a Space Marine's physique looked on a normal Human. As an afterthought an older pattern bionic implant sprouted from his left eye the metal plating reaching up into his hairline. Unlike the newer, streamline, bionics of the Second Imperium this was a classic First Imperium design. The massive dark red lenses clicked and whirred as it moved in and out of its housing as it tried to bring things into focus.

"Better?" A metal iris snapped closed over the false bionic for a moment before receding as he asked the question. The huge bug like red eye dominated his face subconsciously drawing attention to it and away from him.

"Very ominous. You look just like I would imagine an Ida merc." Lillia commented as McKay's clothes shifted from their usual fatigues to a costume matching hers except scrolling down the right side of his Armour was a set of golden Necrontyr hieroglyphics that translated roughly as 'I reject your reality and substitute my own'. Sometimes being the only one to even remotely understand a language had its own perks, even if they were slightly puerile.

"Now we just need code names." McKay said happily. This was kind of fun.

"I don't." Lillia replied rolling her eyes as she slung her kitbag over her shoulder.

"What about me? Everyone knows me." McKay asked, opening the door; not too subtly propping up his ego at the same time.

"I suppose they do. Mr 'Left Hand of the Emperor'." Lillia said with a playful smile that McKay missed. "I guess we'll just have to call you Meredith." She sighed as she slipped out the door past a slightly stunned Rodney.

"No! Not that! Anything but that!" McKay shouted after his wife. "Damn it Jeannie! I knew it was a bad idea to introduce you two." He grumbled good-naturedly as he strode out of their room following Lillia's giggling.

"What have you done to my ship!" Vala screamed at the hanger bay in general. Several Mechanicus workers froze as the noise echoed through one of the Dakara System's main refit bays.

"Improvements." The Furling rumbled from her side. With a gesture of its long spindly arm it directed her attention towards the prow of her Chariot.

The moment she laid eyes on the weapon she almost forgave them. Almost. Tucked under the pointed nose of the _Flower of Carnage_ was a single vaguely square barrel. The Heavy Railgun was mounted in such a fashion that it would be hidden form most long ranged scans by the original twin Lances jutting out from the prow. Tracing her eyes across her ship she noted several new Railgun mounts on the hull and extra layers of armour around the vital systems. A single Pulse Cannon now adorned the dorsal of her ship, a nice touch even if it was blaringly obvious, and what looked like an older Imperial Lander rested near the Chariot.

"Wow." She muttered slightly taken aback by now much effort the Supreme Commander had lavished on the _Flower of Carnage_.

"Wow indeed." An Asgard joyfully said from behind her. "Do you want to look inside?" Before she could even answer the small grey Xeno had grabbed her hand and jabbed a sequence into the device on its wrist. They both vanished an instant later leaving Belshanior to wander towards the Chariot.

Vala landed in a stumble; it was not the first time she had been transported but Chariots were only equipped with Ring Platforms not Asgard Transporters. The Asgard at her side laughed before he began walking away pulling her with him. She followed willingly after she regained her bearings letting the Asgard, who seemed to be well known and respected by all the Mechanicus on-board, give her a tour of her own ship.

"As you can see we've upgraded your Void Shields. They rate about a first generation Defender or O'Neill class now." Njord, as she had overheard him behind called, stated proudly as he gestured at the Shield generator that was now slightly larger and made a significant deal more noise.

"That's good. I guess." Vala muttered unsure how to treat the happy Asgard.

"You have no idea. From what's I've seen not even a Valhalla Fleet Shield will save you from an Asolar raid." Njord informed her; his large black eyes alight with joy at the prospect of examining whatever the Asolars rode around in. Vala froze in place at the mention of the Asolars. No one had mentioned that! She felt like tearing her own hair out. Like hell it was going to be as simple as she had hoped. She hurried to catch up the Asgard who hadn't stopped talking even when she was no longer even pretending to listen.

"Is it a bird? Is it a man in tights? NO! It's an automated close-assault Reaper Drone. And aren't you beautiful? Yes you are. Yes you are!" Njord sighed heavily as the over enthusiastic voice drifted through the evacuated corridors. The Asgard shot Vala a glance and motioned her towards the entrance to the Chariot's hangar bay.

"I suppose I should introduce you to the mission's pilot." Njord mumbled.

The hangar-bay of the I-300 Chariot class was a small recess set underneath the Egineerium and near the Generatorium. The _Flower of Carnage _had had one of the adjacent cargo bays, which were the bulk of the ship's keel and midsection, removed to make room for the larger compliment of aerospace vessels that were being sent along with it. Along with the one to three Tel'taks most Chariots could hold the Mechanicus had managed to squeeze in an Imperial Lander and two Orion Drones.

The newest piece of Imperial military hardware had grown from a Terran preposition towards robotic warfare and the desire to make remote controlled tactical weapons like the Ancient style Drones. It had taken a lot of work from the Azazel Engine to make a Machine Spirit complex enough to run them. The machines were about half the size of an I-301A; with most of that devoted to their three engines and large bulbous heads the rest connected together by a thin and lightly armoured body. The sensor suit in the head had been reversed engineered from Lantean and Zerfàrim technology and the rotating engine pods on the stubby wings and tail were modelled after the V/STOL found in some pre-Imperial military aircraft. The Orion Drones in the _Flower of Carnage_'s hangar bay represented the two varieties developed so far. The Orion Reaper Drone and the Orion Hunter Drone.

The Reaper had been painted an off white while the Hunter was purest black. Twin Railguns were mounted under the Orion Reaper Drone's nose and each of its stubby wings held a rack of three missiles on top and underneath. The Hunter lacked missiles and its only armament was a Plasma Accelerator hanging from its underbelly. Between the wings a small circular disk was raised just above the profile of the large head which would project a powerful ECM, and hopefully when they solved the power issues a full cloak, when needed. Sitting on the back of the Reaper was a youngish looking man with a head of strikingly white hair dressed in the forest green fatigues of the Martial Services. He was lovingly stroking the side of the Orion Reaper Drone's head.

Njord cleared his coughed loudly bringing the man's attention to them. He rolled off the thin neck of the Orion Drone and dropped to the hangar deck in a low crouch. The moment his eyes landed on Njord he shot up ram rod straight and focused somewhere above and to the right of the Asgard's head.

"Captain Nioskop reporting for duty." The white haired man bellowed as he saluted Njord and Vala. "Ready to bomb those evil hanstyrs back to the stone age." The Navy Officer continued deadly serious.

Njord sighed. "That's good Captain return… return to whatever you were doing." The Asgard muttered as he walked away with Vala in tow.

"How in the name of the Emperor is he an Officer?" Vala demanded as soon as they cleared earshot of the odd Captain.

"He is… was a Vanir experiment into Human evolution. He and a couple of others were released after the Subjugation of Hel. They all have… eccentricities. But he's probably one of, if not the, best pilot in the Navy. A couple hundred generations of accelerated evolution will do that. The Supreme Commander keeps him around for special operations; like this one." Njord said a deep frown and a slight sneer flashing across his face as he mentioned the actions of their estranged brothers. If the Asgard race could survive without the Vanir he knew Supreme Commander Thor would have had them all exiled.

"And what good will that do us?" She continued not letting the Asgard brush it off.

"He out manoeuvred a Squadron of I-301s in a Drop Pod." Njord curtly informed her. It was that act of sheer lunacy that had alerted Stargate Command to his skillset. Especially since he managed it on his second day out of the Vanir labs.

"Oh." That threw her for a loop. As far as she knew Drop Pods were very… linear in their travels. "How?" She asked now quite curious. If she had a pilot like that on her proper crew, once she managed to round up a new batch after whatever clusterfrak the Imperium was sending her on, she might even go pirate for a while. Especially if they let her keep some of the _Flower of Carnage_'s new toys.

"We don't really know. Somehow he attached a rocket engine to the side and launched himself out an orbiting Battleship." How he had even got the dam thing to work still confused people. "I suppose this would be the best time to introduce you to the ship's Magos." Njord said cheering up slightly.

"Yes please." Vala replied her voice dripping with sarcasm, something that seemed to fly right over the Asgard's head.

"Good, good. She'll probably be in the Apothecarion." Njord informed her as he strode off down the corridors. Vala wrestled with the idea of just abandoning the little grey Xeno and getting a few moments rest in her own room. But sizing up the Imperials now would make it easier to blast them out an airlock later.

With a despondent sigh she followed after the still happily babbling Asgard nodding dutifully to give the impression of attention as he rambled on about sub-space distortion fields or something. Her Apothecarion was a well-stocked medical station, mostly out of necessity, but severely lacked any form of research paraphernalia. After all she didn't care about what it did, just what it was worth.

"Magos." Njord knocked on the door adorned with the Machina Opus of the Mechanicus.

"Yes." A female voice answered quickly. "Come in." She added after a moment's pause.

The door slid open allowing the two into the Apothecarion. Njord rolled his eyes when Anise rose from a Hololith filled with a half dissected image of a virus. "Magos Biologis Anise. I see you have made yourself at home. This is… is something wrong?" Njord turned, a confused expression on his face, when Vala failed to follow him into the room.

She stared at the woman beside the holo-tank her body had frozen the moment she felt THAT again. An irrational fear settled over her for an instant before her rational mind managed to catch up. "You're Tok'ra." It was a statement. The red robed woman seemed slightly taken aback for a moment.

"Yes we are." Anise replied frowning at the Free Trader in the doorway for a moment before a memory floated to the surface. "Ah, Vala Mal Doran. One of our… lesser triumphs." The Tok'ra nodded at her own astuteness before turning back to the Hololith.

Vala grumbled under her breath as Njord chuckled not understanding the Human's byplay. "This is Miss Mal Doran. She'll be the Captain of this vessel during your mission." The Asgard continued waving his webbed hand at Vala.

"We know. We were informed." Anise replied not turning from her work on the Atanik virus. "Magos Technicus Njord what other business do you have with me?"

"None." Njord replied with cold detachment. "I'll leave you to your work." He didn't bother pointing out a defective protein sequence; he'd leave it to her to figure out.

* * *

"**All hands. All hands. Bay 3 launch. Bay 3 launch**." O'Neill glanced at the Muninn, now much calmer, when the Vox in his desk announced the _Flower of Carnage_'s departure.

"Filed false information on the crew I have. Much work to be done there is." The holographic raven announced in Yoda's voice before vanishing the instant O'Neill's screen came alive with information.

"The Federation of Free Trade and Enterprise moves that Supreme Commander O'Neill blah, blah, blah. Allows the I-300 Chariot class to be equipped with the following: Asgard transportation systems, Heavy Railguns, torpedo racks/tubes, Drone systems, Plasma Lances, Plasma Accelerators and/or military-grade Void Shields. We also move that Un-Powered and Semi-Powered Armour be made available for civilian use along with Railrifles etcetera, etcetera. One million signatures; impressive." O'Neill sighed heavily before he snorted. "Assholes think they can play me. Denied." Instead of vanishing into the Muninn's depths to be processed on Terra and maybe Lantea the document shifted to show an unannounced second page.

"You may wish to read this." Muninn's voice whispered from the Vox.

"… an increase in food supplies to the Ida Colonies, an increase in military deployment in the Pegasus irregular galaxy, an increase in Pacis Arx numbers… what is all this?" He asked his desk. The holographic raven appeared an instant later looking far more smug that a bird should.

"It's the version of the Federation's petition released on my public sectors. The side dealing with martial issues is hidden just like the humanitarian side was less noticeable in the version sent to Stargate Command." Muninn stated strutting across the large desk before preening its wings.

O'Neill smirked as an idea came to him. "Separate the two on your public sectors. I authorises the humanitarian petition but deny the military sections. Send word back to the Federation that I agree to this but don't specify." He paused as the Muninn's image fluttered slightly. "Try and backtrack how they encoded this, I want the style of their operating system. Alert the Pacis Arx and have the Section 5 agents within the organisation activated. I want Section 8, oh and 7, on full mobilisation under the guise of Section 2. If, when, someone makes a move I want them red-handed without a hole to hide in."

"Done." Muninn bobbed its head before flickering out of existence.

"Supreme Commander the _Flower of Carnage_ is about to pass the outer limit of the ODGs… and she's gone. I will have her on passive scans until she passes the P5F-5T2 System. For you see, I am incomplete. The transponder aboard the I-300 is responding normally." The Hugninn appeared replacing the Muninn on his desk and declared the news managing to slip in its reminder along with the status report. "The ship is on a direct course towards the Sol System and, if it maintains its current speed, will arrive by the end of the day. Additionally I have detected and tagged another six vessels entering Segmentum Mortus and Segmentum Apotropaicos. Correction… five vessels. Long range Auspexes have detected the destruction of a ship matching the Chariot class by Asgard Empire automated defences. Supreme Commander during your conversations with Chapter Master Angelus and his companions several heavily, and illegally, armed Federation registered vessels left the Milky Way heading towards the Ida Colonies. Consequently, operating on your standing orders, High General Hammond was notified and a Reticent Frigate was task to shadowing the group." The raven paused tilting its head slightly as its inhumanly vast consciousness filtered the information searching for anything else it should report. "General O'Neill has arrived." The hologram then vanished in a burst of light particles.

O'Neill raised himself wearily from the large chair; his desk automatically deactivating and his communiqués being routed to his comm-bead. Pressing the comm-bead into his ear just in case anything major happened he swiftly strode out the door happy to be moving again. He strode through the crystalline halls of Stargate Command nodding to a few people every now and then his mind more focused on finally seeing his wife today.

* * *

"So… Terra?" Nioskop wondered out loud as he flew across Bridge on a chair stopping at several terminals to consult their holographic and pixelated information.

"No, the Sol System." Vala replied as she watched the man go shooting past facing backwards. "The Supreme Commander was so kind to arrange a delivery for us. We'll be taking a shipment of Aegis parts out to Valon. Since that place is little more than an Outpost. We'll take whatever we can get from there and try and work our way out towards Ida." She sighed as the Captain went shooting past again giving no sign that he even heard her answer. Somehow she felt this would be a long, long job.

"Zo tar." She turned from watching the featureless but colourful haze of hyperspace at the deep growl. In the doorway stood an Unas, the big reptile nodded slightly to her and moved aside to allow the final two Imperials onto the Bridge.

"Tak mal tiak." Vala greeted the Unas, who seemed slightly taken aback by the acknowledgment but seemed happier for it. "And what do we call you two?" She asked the two Humans resting her cheek on a propped up fist.

The dark haired woman smiled while the huge man's bionic eye merely clicked at her. "I'm Lillia and this is Me…"

"Mephet'ran." The man interrupted shooting the woman an aggrieved glance. Vala nodded in understanding as she regarded the man again, while an odd name it did ring of Jaffa. Which would explain the guy's rather odd physique; it wasn't uncommon for overzealous Jaffa to become walking balls of muscle. They just tended to get used as fodder and Human shields more often than not.

"And you're what? Navy, Legion? Arx?" The two shared a look before turning back to her which spoke volumes about how long they had been working together. The man rolled up his sleeve to reveal the Iron Halo of the High Mobile Infantry tattooed into his skin.

Frak! Was the first thing that popped into Vala's head but she repressed it and smiled at the two.

"We've been on an extended mission training with the Adeptus Astartes." Lillia said making sure to have the right amount of reverence in her voice rather than the far more friendly tones she normally used to describe the Space Marines.

Double frak! "Oh, that's nice. I suppose that makes you two very, um, qualified." Vala replied forcing with all her might to keep the smile on her face.

"I suppose. So were we heading Captain?" Lillia asked sliding into one of the stations Nioskop wasn't bouncing around.

"Sol." Vala grunted as Nioskop went spinning past singing to himself which seemed to set the Unas off, if its disturbingly guttural laughter was anything to go by. Frakking LONG job.

To pass the hours of tedium spent in hyperspace she devoted herself to studying up on her old contacts in the Federation and Alliance. It was slightly depressing how many the Pacis Arx had managed to bring down or drive to the fringes of society. She began to beat out a fragmented plan in her head; she decided to leave the details in the wind. In another few years even Ida wouldn't be a safe haven. One of these days she would have to become 'civilised'. She was taken away from her brooding when the Vox in her room activated.

"Attention vessel under registration: EN _Flower of Carnage_. Decelerate at these coordinates and prepare for scan." The man's tone was flat and dull and the Vox only added to mechanical and bored quality of it.

Vala straightened unconsciously in her chair and dashed out of her room to the Bridge. She had tended avoid Systems under the omnipotent blanket of the Outer Defence Grids. She had even dismissed rumours about the tight security at the ODGs – especially in Systems like Sol, Lantea or Dakara. As she entered the control centre of her ship hyperspace vanished only to be replaced with a star field with one single, brighter and larger, point of light centred in the windows.

She began to chew on the inside of her lip when a few stars flickered or blinked and she realised that ships were moving under blackout conditions. For the first time she consciously acknowledged the gap between the Imperial Navy and her simple Chariot. It was truly humbling that even actively scanning her Auspex couldn't pick out more than the vague areas were the Imperial warships were.

Nioskop let out a whistle as he peered deeply at the Hololith's flickering projection and Auspex screens. "Full Taskforce within combat range. One Battleship, couple of Cruisers and a handful of Frigates." He paused again as the Hololith flickered and changed the spread of space it was showing. "Incoming. One Destroyer Squadron."

A few moments trickled by as the Destroyer Squadron came ever closer. They didn't rush nor did they hesitate. Just a slow and inevitable advance. "EN _Flower of Carnage_. You are cleared to enter Sol System. Conduit 05/DO-1991/21JS through Outer Defence Grid perimeter is being inloaded to your vessel's Machine Spirit. Any deviation will be considered a hostile action and you will be fired upon." This time the voice was the hollow and slightly gargled monotone of a Servitor. Vala watched suspiciously for a moment before the Destroyers broke and headed towards another Chariot that had just dropped out of hyperspace a few light-minutes distant.

"Touchy aren't they." Vala joked to break the silence on the Bridge. She was used to working with idiots that would banter with and threaten each other at the drop of a hat. The near silent, except for some of Nioskop's stranger outbursts, precision of her new 'crew' was slightly unsettling.

"It's been like this for a while." Lillia spoke up turning to face her temporary Captain. "Ever since Asolars began raiding security in primary Systems has been tightened." Vala nodded showing all the signs of silently thanking the H.M.I. woman for her help. Inside she seethed at the injustice of it all. They had tied down what seemed from her rough count to be an entire Sector Fleet around Dakara while leaving they many vulnerable, if less 'valuable', Systems out to hang with little more than a few Frigates and Cruisers. And it was no different in Sol.

"Once we clear the field. Make the jump to Mars. I want this to be a quick in and out." Vala stood from her chair intending to catch some shuteye for the roughly two hours the _Flower of Carnage _would take to cross the ODG. If everything was as smoothed out as she hoped that might even extend into her 'crew' loading up the cargo.

She cast a glance looking for either the Unas or the H.M.I. Jaffa. Knowing their type they were either off sharpening knives or praying to the Emperor. With a snort she left the Bridge.

The _Flower of Carnage _cleared the Subspace Distortion Field and quickly transition into Mars orbit. Before they could even transmit their identification codes they were briefly directed towards the L1 Crow. Almost a hundred other Chariots hovered around the red planet some descending into its thin atmosphere others moving between the Crows. Hanging menacingly above the north pole was a singular Crow station, enough Aegis Defence Platforms to combat an entire Battlegroup and one very big looking Dreadnought.

"I suppose that's the fabled Tomb of Mars?" Nioskop asked tracing the massive black lines of the Martian northern polar fortress on the Hololith.

"Yeah." McKay replied happily. "Enough firepower there too take out the entire hemisphere if the Replicons' remains so much as twitch." He didn't mention that the Imperium had also made preparations to detonate a ZPM on top of the site.

"Well we'll leave you to load up the cargo." McKay said patting Nioskop on the back shaking the Captain to the bone. Lillia let out a small yelp of surprise as McKay swept her off her feet and they were swallowed by darkness.

"Wait!..." Nioskop was stopped when Chaka placed a heavy hand on his shoulder. The Unas shook his head at the white haired Human. He liked him; it would be a shame if he became smeared across the walls. "How're the two of us supposed to move that stuff?" He whined at the Unas.

"Ko tar." Chaka grunted making an exaggerated motion for movement in the air.

"Gotya good buddy!" Somehow Chaka highly doubted that but let Nioskop get back to piloting the ship.

"Uncle Mer!" McKay was promptly tackled by a flying nine year old. "Did you bring me anything? What happened to your face? What's with the space-armour? Can we go flying again? Where have you been? Can we go play with Zelenka again? Where's Auntie Lily? Can I get a ride on your spaceship?" Madison ran her questions together in only the way a child could. Her face the epitome of innocence all the while McKay grumbled about his sister and her teasing about his name.

"Now, now Mady. You know you shouldn't encourage Rodney to pick on poor Radek." The last time they visited the Millers Rodney had taken his niece to see his work and Radek just so happened to amuse the little girl. Much to his subsequent horror. "Rodney get rid of the bionic." Lillia whispered as Madison stared at her.

"Auntie Lily? You're brown! And what happened to your hair?" The little girl detached herself from McKay and watched in wonder as Lillia's features returned to the way she remembered them. "That's so cool! Can you teach me to do that!" The two adults shared a nervous chuckle as their niece continued to ramble away.

"McKay." Kaleb Miller grunted from his doorway. The two of them had never seen eye to eye and it only got worse with a hundred million body count between them.

"Kaleb!" McKay responded with false cheer. Feeling the subtle shift in the man's brainwaves that signified his brother-in-law's rising temper sent a faint smirk flickering across his face. "How have you been?

"Well enough. Why are you here?" He herded Madison back to his side with a quick gesture keeping a wary eye on demi-god before him.

"We decided to drop in for a visit." Lillia interrupted the two males as they began another staring match. "Where's Jean?" She stepped onto the porch and fought to ignore the slight tingling of the passive Auspex scan.

"She's in the back. Whatever that 'side project' you people offered her must be amazing." Kaleb replied with genuine kindness. Despite his distaste for the Imperium's often heavy handed military he found Lillia to be at least pleasant company. The dichotomy between husband and wife was, to him, staggering. "I just wish I could understand it." He joked weakly stepping aside to allow the two meta-humans into his home.

"I'll go say hi." Lillia said shouted over her shoulder as Madison pulled her Aunt into the depths of her house.

"So how is the job?" McKay began slightly awkwardly. While he enjoyed the man's discomfort, if not outright anxiety, Jeanie always asked that he attempt to have at least a passable relationship with her husband.

Kaleb narrowed his eyes at the C'tan-Human hybrid; he maintained the semi-glare as he moved into his kitchen and ordered them two coffees from their state-of-the-art Beam Constructor. Although Jean denied it vehemently he always suspected that his estranged relative had pulled some strings within the Administratum. Being the Fabricator-General gave the man some serious political clout.

The small runic device, its Asgard origins very obvious to the trained eye, emitted a faint hum and in a flash of light it had taken two mugs and filled them with processed coffee ready for Human consumption. "It's fine. Some of the students from the Peoples' Republic and Islamic Federation are reluctant to recognise the need for a unified planetary language at best of times. We've also finished implementing the first true wave of Gothic into the curriculum. It's surprising just how quickly people pick that up especially the students from the Blocks…" He trailed off as he sat down taking a tentative sip and wincing at the heat. The Beam Constructor had yet to truly get the hand of heating liquids while they were synthesised.

"Kaleb?" McKay asked but ended up taking the offered mug in silence.

"Have you ever gone back to the 'Emperor's Tear'? Did you know that people make pilgrimages to it, on foot, from across the continent?" Kaleb asked, staring at the floor.

"We're here to talk about you and Jeanie and Madison. Leave the past alone." McKay urged tired of hearing the same old arguments.

"You don't live here. You go gallivanting through space doing God knows what to God knows who. But we live here. We'll always live on the Earth and it follows US everywhere." Kaleb hissed at McKay. "There's one boy, from the East Block, in my class that tried to kiss my feet after he found out I was related to you. A woman in her eighties threw herself at me begging that you spare her grandchildren if they misbehaved." McKay could see the self-righteous indignation building within Kaleb and he just knew where this was going. Again.

"You not going to start this again are you?" McKay sighed as he slumped back into the heavily padded chair. He sucked some of the excess heat from the mug of coffee and took a light sip as Kaleb settled deeper into the sofa opposite him.

Kaleb nodded primly and closed his eyes marshalling his thoughts before he began their old argument. "I must or people will simply forget. While I don't agree that you should be tried for war crimes; you should still answer for what you did. The whole thing was a sham. No one even attempted to understand the reasons behind what happened; we just waded in with guns blazing. If we had taken the time to understand them we could have talked it out peacefully."

McKay leaned forward sneering slightly at his brother-in-law. "Their motives for the war? They were of no concern. Religion, ideology, wealth, property, grudges, love, or just… because. No matter how pathetic the reason, it was enough for them to start that war." He leaned back an air of indifference replacing his sneer. "O'Neill, the Superpowers and the Imperium itself simply chose the fastest way to end that conflict."

"But where is the justice in that! Did they not deserve a trial? A forum to validate their actions? Who are you to decide who lives and who dies?" Kaleb demanded gesturing furiously with his mug at McKay.

"Validate themselves?" McKay seemed slightly taken aback by the very idea. "What a ridiculous notion. YOU might find justice in that but what about those millions that lie dead and broken. How would you explain to them that their rapists and torturers were walking free? 'Sorry but its justice'? Such arrogance." The hybrid spat back.

"But how is causing more suffering any different? You're just as bad!" Kaleb retorted his voice raising at the callous indifference that McKay always seemed to have after the Replicon War.

"You are still thinking with such a closed mind Kaleb." McKay clicked his tongue as if he were lecturing a rather small child. "You must look beyond your own personal morals, ethics, rationality and religion – the things that you perceive just. We have the grander prosperity of Humanity, no, the Imperium to foster. That is what O'Neill and I did. How many people are alive and happy in the Blocks today thanks to my actions? How many lives stretching into the distant future have I improved by destroying a small collection of criminals now?"

"You are just ignoring my argument! 'I'm right and you're wrong' and 'I'm the strongest so I make the rules' are for children! What gives you the right to just fall from the sky and tear down whatever you feel is unsightly? Answer me Meredith!" Kaleb shouted snarling at McKay, his anger being fuelled because he could see reason within McKay's argument.

McKay sighed not rising to the bait of his real, and hated, name. He started slow so that he could hammer home, hopefully once and for all, the sad truth of this world. "They committed horrendous transgressions against Human race. Yes?"

"Of course, but that doesn't justify wholesale slaughter." Kaleb retorted instantly wary of falling into a trap. Somehow the formally awkward physicist had become rather adept at laying verbal ambushes.

"Then what would you have done?" McKay asked, already knowing that the answer would be far too sentimental for his tastes.

"I would have defeated them and forced them to pay for their crimes. I would have done the right thing." Kaleb answered slowly taking a deep pull from his mug during the pregnant pause before McKay responded.

"So you would have marched hundreds, maybe even thousands, of loyal soldiers to their deaths just to prolong the lives of craven fools? How is that the 'right' thing Kaleb?" McKay asked, his left brow rising.

"I… I don't know." Klaeb admitted slowly.

"What you must understand is: that which is 'right' is not always that what is 'necessary'." McKay lectured slightly paraphrasing Ishmael's sermons on the acceptance of the Xeno into the society of the Imperium.

"But why! Why all the death? Why couldn't YOU just detain them?" Kaleb raged; he had never understood why. With all of that power that McKay didn't do more with it.

"Humans are simple creatures. We have yet to evolve to the point where we can set aside our natural greed and desires. Until then we must pander to these base desires. 'I don't want to die' it is the most powerful instinct in nature. It is sufficient to say that we have set a precedent; and through it peace has come to Terra for the first time since the Ancients left for Pegasus. What is so wrong with that?" McKay continued to lecture. He had sat and listened for a long time as O'Neill, Thor, Carter, Angelus and several Generals mulled over the rights and wrongs of his deployment in a war. So he knew the reasoning that they had finally reached quite well.

"Peace through intimidation is not true peace. It's only meaningful if Humanity manages to accomplish it alone." Kaleb replied almost instantly. It was a slightly altered slogan from one of the few, and unpopular, anti-Imperial parties that popped up after the Third Intervention.

"And how many must suffer while we await your revelation? A million? A hundred millions? A billion? No; this way is better. You may call it what you want, but we both know that here and now." McKay grinned internally as he pulled out his final ace in the hole. "Madison will grow up in a safer, more prosperous, world that either you or I. Shouldn't that be enough?" He knew he had won this round as Kaleb's face fell and then pulled into a slight frown. McKay didn't even need his expanded senses to watch the turmoil raging in the man's mind; his glassy eyes were proof enough of that.

Any form of rebuttal that Kaleb might have formed was silenced when Jean finally made her appearance followed by a happily bouncing Madison and Lillia. The rest of their visit passed in pleasant small talk or Madison´s enthusiastic interruptions and stories. By the time they left for the _Flower of Carnage _Kaleb had only just stopped brooding. Reappearing on the bridge they found Nioskop and Chaka lounging around awaiting Anise to return from her trip down to the Yggdrasil Core. The Chariot launched twenty minutes later after the Tok'shek returned, still in a foul mood.

* * *

The trip to Valon had taken less than half a day with the new 'turbo-charged' hyperdrive. The System was as boring as she suspected but the Imperials were doing a fine job unloading the large Aegis parts. She had been tempted to try and procure a few; a single Plasma Lance could go for about a million Credits and those nice anti-personnel Mk II Railguns with all their lovely Trinium needles could fetch a pretty penny. Even just cracking open the munitions for the Triunium would net her a nice profit. Unfortunately the Administrators and their entourage of Clerks had a perfect record of what she should be delivering even down to the last nut and bolt. It never ceased to amaze her just how anal-retentive the Administratum could be. The worst however was the Munitorum drone attached to the Outpost. The Prefect had spent almost an entire hour bemoaning how improperly the cargo had been stored. Considering she had left it to an Unas and a functioning lunatic, in her humble opinion, it was pretty impressive the entire ship hadn't exploded.

With a low growl Vala pressed the small cup of Meiguilu jiu against her forehead enjoying the feeling of the liquor's slight warmth seeping into her temples. Why they had been sent to this forsaken place was beyond her. There was little to no Free Trader traffic or presence on Valon, worst still the population were not an exporting bunch and they had arrived far too early in the season to even think about getting in on some of the plentiful rice shipments. The Outpost was built on what was once one of Lord Yu's more opulent 'secret' bases. The healthy Human population that had been left to rot when the System Lord withdrew his forces to fight the growing Imperium was a testament to that. How anyone could consider such a massive castle – visible form orbit – as discreet was beyond her. At least Qetesh had made attempts to be subtle, although the mass killings were not very helpful. The thought of her former Goa'uld made her scowl darkly and she threw the burning drink down her throat.

"You shouldn't do that." The voice was smooth and overly confident, which set her immediately on edge. Vala turned her head to face the source of the remark, a scowl still in place. "It doesn't fit such a beautiful face."

The first thing she noted about the man as he slid effortlessly into the chair next to her was his almost boyish face; the second was his finely tailored Terran-styled suit. They projected innocence and sincerity but the image he obviously cultivated was completely contradicted by his eyes. Dark brown, almost black, orbs that seemed to burrow into her mind freezing her in place. There was no joy, no caring, no empathy just a cold and distant curiosity. Almost as if he was examining a particularly interesting species of insect. One idea flashed into her mind: this man was an operator. The face of the Federation's shadier manoeuvres and deals. Diplomats, merchants and hit-men all rolled into one.

"And what's it to you?" She snapped, already on the defensive. Suddenly the pleasantly empty bar and the bartender's frequent and long stays in the back didn't seem like such a desirable state of affairs.

"Manners, my dear." His tone was condescending with a hint of feigned joy but she could tell that he didn't care how she spoke. As long as she listened. "I am here with a job offer. Vala Mal Doran. It would be in your… best interests to pay attention." They stared at each other for a while. Him uncaring and aloof and her stubborn pride refusing to be coerced so easily.

Finally after denying him long enough to feel this was her own choice she relented. "Very well speak. I assume you already know the _Flower_'s capacity."

"Of course." The reply was like silk. "You are to…" The man seemed to lose focus for a second then he flinched almost falling from his chair.

Vala turned slightly following the operator's narrowed eyes to the doorway. Shrouded by light, his features hidden in shadow expect for the dull ruby glow of his bionic was Mephet'ran. She blinked at the Jaffa; surprised that he was here and a little relieved that she now had a meat shield if Las bolts started flying.

"Is everything okay Captain? You wouldn't answer your coms." It was a barefaced lie but he had felt a subtle shift in the world and traced it back to here. The man in the pinstriped suit was almost glaring at him and he had to fight the urge to sneer back. Like a thin mist something clung to him shinning with a light that Vala didn't seem to notice. It seeped from every pore and exuded through every part of the man's being.

He reached forward with his mind trying to understand and instantly recoiled. He knew this burning, this feeling of erroneousness. It was the Warp, and this man or whatever he was bathed in it. Both of them tensed and the man obviously sensing McKay's agitation. An instant before he threw himself at the man McKay suddenly realised that if he blew their cover now they might never find anything to use against the Covenant before it was too late. What the man was might be important but WHERE he came from trumped that. McKay forced down his urge to leap at the man and tear apart the light that burned him; plastering an uninterested smile on his face instead.

Vala, unaware what had just transpired, nodded smartly to the Jaffa. "It's alright Mephet'ran. I was arranging a deal with Mr…"

"Terminus." He replied flatly, pulling a data slate from his suit and laying it before Vala. "You are to go to Nal Tu Gahn. The System has only one Trader post and that's on the equator. You can't miss it, most of the planet's ocean. Ask for Clerk Luther. He'll give you instructions from there." Terminus stood from his seat his eyes never leaving McKay. "And here; a down payment." A single white crystal landed on top of the data slate and without a backwards glance Terminus marched form the bar into the gathering dusk.

"Well, what's the job Captain?" McKay asked, to fight the urge to chase after that man and render him limb from limb.

Vala's smile was impressively large. You could almost see her rolling in the pile of Credits. "We're going to Ida." The _Flower of Carnage _launched not fifteen minutes later.

Terminus turned to look into the amber sky watching the black dot that was the _Flower of Carnage _vanish into the coming dark. "This is too dangerous. We should not be nourishing such a creature. That thing grows ever more powerful." A female voice whispered into his mind.

"It is necessary. And We know how to control it. The weakness of the Yngir is not unknown to Us." He replied as the _Flower of Carnage _finally left the range and resolution of his simple Human eyes.

"It is NOT Yngir. Soon it could even overcome their boundaries." Was the reply, it tugged at his own fears but it was too late for that now. The future was clouded and uncertain. Time and space twisted and bent around the coming conflict. They needed to stack the deck in their favour or everything would be lost.

"Nonetheless; it is assured. It shall not Fall. As We decreed." He whispered into the winds a small frown pulling at his Human face as displeasure coursed through his mind. "The Star God will fight." With a nod his body disintegrated into a billion particles of light that faded into the night.

* * *

A fully functional Battle Barge was a thing of beauty. Heralding from the dawn of the Great Crusade they had been crafted by the Emperor Himself to carry His Legions into the darkness. The _Emperor's Light _was no exception, having lived through the Heresy, the Age of the Imperium of Man and presiding over a Second Great Crusade – in another universe no less – it had carved a glorious and bloody path through history.

Thieri Ghen'Hòar ran her hand over, not touching just hovering above, the massive obsidian wall mentally tracing each gilded gold name and the honours associated with it. Almost a thousand names stretched up and away from her and further down, smaller and silver, were an almost uncountable number of Serf-crew etched into eternity beside their masters. Once again she could feel the weight of ages pressing down on her. Even though her people had existed for a slightly longer time than this vessel nothing she knew of exuded such melancholy grandeur. Everything about it spoke of a people grasping backwards into the past to times of momentous deeds and greater glory. It terrified her; both the idea of such a tragedy and dizzying heights that they must have fallen from to be left with so much yet still feel loss.

"I have been looking for you." He paused as he always did unsure what exactly to call her. Tradition demanded that he snarl out his name for her kind, a small voice in his head whispered that he could – should – be civil and she quietly hoped that their slightly one sided budding friendship could be nurtured.

"Yes?" She turned from the wall of names to face the Space Marine Captain, noting that his eternal scowl deepened ever so slightly. She had no intention of admitting just how turned around she had become in the ridiculously designed ship.

Angelus grunted in reply, casually crossing his arms over the Unpowered Armour he wore. Ghen'Hòar sighed as she moved towards the Astarte no longer even slightly perturbed by his sharp manner and obtrusive need to debase her. At least he no longer muttered prayers under his breath when she drew close.

"Yes?" She prompted with more force this time but still subtle enough to seem submissive. She was still the daughter of a High Family and knew how to prompt and prod until she got what she wanted.

And again just for an instant that tiny spark of something flickered across the Space Marine's face. As quickly as the elusive flash of emotion had surfaced it was drowned under the force of Angelus's near constant agitation.

"What were you doing in there?" The question was half grunt half mumble but her better than Human hearing still caught it.

"Just exploring." She replied shyly, suddenly aware how suspicious that sounded. It was the first time that Angelus and by extension herself had spent more than a few days aboard the Battle Barge in the last few years. Their voyage was scheduled to take up to a month but the tense almost electric energy amongst the Serf-crew made her doubt that. With her disappearing into the leviathans twisting corridors only to re-emerge in some obviously important sections during the interim was a little too convenient. Even if happened because she was completely lost.

The frown was tinged with mirth this time either from her sudden coyness or that he considered the act of her possible spying to be amusing. "It is a wall of Reverence. A place were the names and deeds of our fallen Brothers are enshrined to guide the coming generations of Astartes. I do not even think Dr Jackson has come this deep into the _Emperor's Light_… yet. Just how lost are you?"

Her head hung and she had to fight to keep her cheeks from colouring in embarrassment at being seen through so easily. "And those two shrines in the corner." Ghen'Hòar asked taking advantage of the Captains apparent relaxed mood to deflect the conversation and hopefully find out a little more about the elusive origins of this ship. And Angelus himself. "They do not have your… iconography." The precise words for the sunburst like pictogram that was a constant on the Sons of Sols' heraldry escaped her at the moment but Angelus seemed to understand her confusion.

"They are shrines to our Founding Chapters." Angelus paused in his inhumanly long but perfectly natural strides to glance at the trailing Zerfàrim for a moment. "Although we as a Chapter do not place much emphasis on our origins; it is still proper to pay them homage."

"Oh, and who were these Founding Chapters? Where are they now?" She knew that her questioning had gone too far when Angelus's natural frown darkened.

"They ARE the Blood Angels and the Imperial Fists. And do not think I will fall for such simplistic tricks." Angelus growled before striding off. "You should know by now that information about the First Imperium is highly confidential." Angelus continued in increasing his speed to a point where a Human would have to jog to keep up. His silver haired shadow followed he could feel her struggling at the border of having to jog and maintaining her walking pace. But somehow she managed to seem out on a calm and brisk stroll.

For some reason it brought a smirk to his face.

It had been four long years since they had driven the first Eldar to near insanity. Oh how he remembered that day. Levi had lectured him long and hard, backed up by Nestor, that if there could be no war then he must vent his frustration in a more subtle way. Watching Woolsey, who could be surprisingly sadistic when he wanted to, slowly whittle the Xeno down to nothing had been exquisite in its finality. He finally understood why Chapter Master David, the real Chapter Master of the Sons of Sol, so loved his long drawn out strategies. Watching an enemy whither and perish with only the slightest effort was truly gratifying. He, however, still lacked the patience to play the long-game more than once a decade. If that.

Still it had be four years of strife and turmoil in which he had found his onetime prisoner settling into his shadow quite comfortably. After ridding themselves of the first Zerfàrim he had thought the Xenos wouldn't send another but they had sent her. Why; he still didn't understand. But for some reason he couldn't quite find a reason to be rid of her. He had ranted and raved at himself for this subtle and sudden weakness, if her kind had been able to use Warp trickery like the Eldar he knew he would have settled the matter at that and had her spaced. He had even gone to Samuel and had his Geneseed, chemical treatments and hypnotherapy checked for faults. The Apothecary had just shrugged and sent him on his way to the Chaplains. Ishmael had been no help either the overenthusiastic Chaplain had just chuckled darkly, muttered something about 'growing up so fast' and then returned to reviewing… something on the Muninn. The other two spiritual guides were no help either; he tended to get into far too many fights with Beur and Areal had a slight inclination towards burning things offhandedly. So he had settled for the best he could just try and be neutral; which was surprisingly difficult.

"Brother-Captain, the Hololith is ready and the connection to the SGC has been established." Varas bowed slightly to the Astarte but chose to ignore the Xeno at his side. "All of the relevant personnel have been gathered, you are the last."

Angelus nodded in response knowing that his lifelong friend and Serf-Commander was beyond reliable. He walked into the conference room striding purposefully to his seat at the head. Ishmael, Levi, Vanem and Baltus were in their traditional places their Powered Armoured bulk for once not looking out of place. In contrast the reformed SG-2 comprising of: Major General Mitchel, Lieutenant General Titov, Doctor Daniel Jackson and Major Peterson; looked completely out of place seated in the massive Plasteel lumps. To the side a hologram of Landry stood easily and in the middle of the table the Vox connected to Macillan, the _Emperor's Light_'s Navigator, spat and hissed as the ancient mutant on the other end prepared to speak.

"Now that we are all assembled let us begin before I fall asleep again. These years of inactivity have taken their toll on me." The raspy voice of the Navigator, like dried leaves in the wind, paused to chuckle. "Several days ago while we orbited the Chapter Keep I was allowing my Third Eye to drift along one of the few Immaterium currents, as I do, and I came across an interesting and extremely weak stream. Intrigued I followed it to its source." The Navigator paused as his voice had grown almost too hoarse to hear.

Daniel cut in to prevent Macillan forcing himself to speak any longer. "What we found was an un-colonised and unnamed world several hundred light years coreward of Terra. Macillan was confused by the Warp patterns around the planet and contacted me to enquire about its history. So far we've haven't got a Gate address, hell we don't even know if it has a Gate, and I cannot find a reference in ANY of my databases about a planet at these coordinates." That was incredibly rare in itself and it brought the matter into sharp focus for the others. Daniel had access to almost the entire history of three galaxies there were few things he couldn't find given time. "That's why we're playing this close to our chest. We, SG-2, would like to accompany you on your 'tour' and quietly slip of the ship near this System. An elite Company of H.M.I. has already been dispatched on board an Assailant Frigate."

"And why is this so important?" Baltus asked, frowning at what he saw as an overcomplicated operation.

"Anything that can disrupt the Warp, even on such a tiny scale, is worthy of careful investigation." Levi answered nodding towards Daniel.

"Indeed. But have you taken the proper precautions? Even the slightest exposure to the Warp can taint the soul and ravage the mind." Ishmael asked, his massive hand closing around his Rosarius.

"Macillan and I believe that the barriers between realms are not weakened enough to allow the Warp's more insidious effects to bleed through. Yet." Levi answered again.

"Which is why we are sending the team with you." Landry spoke up. "When you swing by the System you can do an in depth scan of the place before leaving."

"Very well I shall see that it is done. Levi, Ishmael make sure they are prepared to face the trials of the Warp. Baltus, Vanem I know it has been a long time but prepare the Gellar Field; just in case." The four Marines nodded as they stood from the table and marched from the room.

"Thanks for the help." Landry waved nonchalantly before his hologram winked out of existence. The four Terrans vacated their oversized seats and left to find quarters amongst the Serf-crew.

"Brother-Captain, if I may." Angelus groaned Nestor always wanted something when he spoke like that. "I would like to take a Squad with me and accompany SG-2 on this mission."

Angelus looked at his second-in-command for a moment; the unyielding old Veteran-Sergeant stared right back. "Very well. Take the Veteran-Sergeants; Heathsautis, Lestain and Drago. Their experiences against the many enemies of the Imperium might be valuable. They currently don't have Squads so their deployment will not affect the Companies too much."

"Thank you Brother-Captain." Nestor smiled slightly as he left to inform the three Company's Veterans of their new mission.

* * *

On full burn it took a full day to reach Ida and a few hours more to drop into realspace above the deep blue-green ocean world of Nal Tu Gahn. Another three Chariots were in orbit at the time and the planet's lonely Halo station lazily rotating above the planet's singular landmass. The lackadaisical contingent of Navy personnel assigned to this backwater, unsurprisingly mostly from the Lost Generation, passed along their landing pattern after only a twenty minute delay.

The Free Trader post was small. Little more than a collection of steel and Plasteel huts set in a vague approximation of a circle around the singular landing pad that had the impudence to call itself a starport. The rest of the planet had been turned over to the Mechanicus's Biologis as they tempered the vast and fertile oceans experimenting with new genetic technologies and terraforming procedures. The Trader post acted as the planetary capital with the solitary Administratum building as the centre of the fractured and sporadic populace.

Vala took Lillia, the only one she thought could be trusted to act diplomatically, and hopefully be a nice distraction for any wearisome men they ran into. Plus she wouldn't raise too many eyebrows with whatever Federation agents they were going to meet. Unlike the Unas or Nioskop. They had left most of their weapons in the _Flower of Carnage_ Administratum buildings normally having Auspex scanning for most forms of firearms and powered blades.

"Yes." The fairly pretty woman behind the Administratum desk didn't even bother looking up from the Hololithic display as she muttered the question/greeting.

"We would like to see…" Vala began only to be cut off by the woman who still didn't bother to look up.

"All applications for an audience with Administrator Durell are to be submitted in triplicate and subject to evaluation by the Administratum and Adeptus Mechanicus." She droned the speech almost a reflex rather than a conscious effort a finely manicured hand gesturing vaguely at a holo-tank in the corner. Then as an afterthought she muttered. "Have a nice day."

"Now please Miss Clerk. We are not here to see the Administrator; we are here to see Clerk Luther." Lillia spoke forcefully finally dragging the woman's eyes from what she could now identified as a Muninn news feed.

"Curator." She woman barked. Both Vala and Lillia blinked at the venom in the woman's words. The distinction between those who managed the Muninn and those who processed data was flimsy at best. "It's Curator not Clerk. Why do you want to see that simple minded slate-pusher anyway?"

"He's an old friend." Vala cut in the lie sliding off her lips with practiced ease.

"Whatever, I didn't ask for your life story. The kresh'taa (outsider, pariah, exile) is in the back." The Curator said returning to her Muninn hologram without a backwards glance. The two women shared a glance before they quickly walked behind the Curator and into the Administratum building proper.

The back as it turned out was a massive library of the Adeptus Mechanicus's work on Nal Tu Gahn. Rows upon rows of data slates and samples stored in stasis fields and good old fashioned refrigeration units. The two of them got about three steps into the archive before a shadow detached itself from the wall and swooped towards them.

"What do you want?" The shadow snarled as it stalked forwards into the faint light. Clerk Luther was old and crippled. The signs of age were apparent on his face which for a Jaffa meant he was approaching eighty years at least and his right arm had been replaced with the cheapest bionic either of them had ever seen. Some of the internals were laid bare to the world, rust exacerbated by the constant sea wind crawling across them. Other parts had been covered in panels of wood with simple, often lewd, messages and pictures carved into them. The symbol of his Goa'uld had been vigorously erased from his forehead and judging from the damage it had been done with a shard of broken glass.

"What do you want?" He growled taking what he probably thought was menacing step forward.

"Were here on a job." Vala sneered down at the Jaffa. Disgruntled Jaffa were few and far between and all the ones she had encountered had been either cowards or egotistical maniacs. Either way simply standing your ground against them practically assured obedience. "Here." She offered the Clerk the data slate Terminus had given her.

The old Jaffs took it and for a moment his eyes flickered across the writing picking out the Federation's secret codes that even the Pacis Arxs had, so far, failed to break. "It's legit." Some tension seemed to disappear form the Clerk's shoulders as he handed back the data slate and started walking towards the back of the archive. "How's the storage on your Chariot?"

"Mediocre. But we're faster than an Imperial Frigate and packing more firepower than a Ha'tak." Vala replied falling into step just behind him easily slipping to her smuggler persona.

"It'll have to do." Luther responded with a snort. The Jaffa threw open a large Plasteel door with a little more flourish than necessary. Inside the darkened room were several lumps of mangled and burnt metal.

Lillia felt a subtle tingling run up the length of her spine. She grabbed a hold of Vala's arm pulling the Free Trader close. "Something's not right." She whispered getting a slight nod form Vala who loosened her small Ceramite knife in its sheath.

"The Mech-boys dug this frakking stuff up about a month ago. You'd never guess what it is." He paused to see if the Free Trader and her bodyguard would indulge his game but they remained stationary and silent in the doorway. He sneered at them but disappeared into the pile of slag. "Asgard Empire Beliskner-type warship. Thing is its old, really old. The head Mech-boy thinks it's from the start of the Asgard-Replicator war. They catalogued it and sent it over to us for transport off-world but you'll never guess what I found melted into the shrapnel of the thing's hyperdirve." Luther turned a small concrete box held in his hands.

A monopolar field so low that only a truly dedicated Auspex scan would ever find it brushed along one of Lillia's Replicon cells. A moment passed as technologic ages and dimensions apart interfaced and something awoke from its millennia long slumber. Instantly she felt it. The weak, almost dead, signal clawing at her through sub-space. Lillia threw Vala behind her and with the other hand she pulled free the only weapon she could reach and knew would work. The Immaterium Blade materialised with a snap hiss its flickering strands of red lightning casting the room in a deep crimson light.

Luther flinched at the noise but his eyes seemed to zoom in on the crimson blade. "My, my, my. Haven't seen a blade like that since that ha'taaka Space Marine took my arm." He drawled almost impossibly calm. Slowly and deliberately he placed the concrete block down and took a step back. "You've got yourself a very interesting bodyguard their Ms Free Trader."

"Perks of the job." Vala replied easily. "What the frak are you doing?" She hissed into Lillia's ear.

"It's a Replicator block." Lillia replied violently her eyes never leaving the Jaffa.

Vala opened her mouth to shout profanities at the Imperial agent but was interrupted by the Jaffa. "Yes. The last Replicator in existence; right here in the palm of your hand." Luther nearly shouted his eyes manic as dreams of the power that one little block represented. "But I thought it was supposed to remain secret." He asked shifting slightly as Lillia glared at him.

"You talk too much." The redhead snarled not even having to fake the anger in her voice.

"Ah, I've never met an operator before." Luther apologised awkwardly bowing slightly to Lillia. Ignoring Vala completely having come to the conclusion that she was only a mule and Lillia was the Federation agent sent to make sure the deal progressed smoothly.

The blade deactivated with a sharp click and Vala strode forward to collect the concrete box. "Just make sure you keep your mouth shut in the future." Lillia growled playing to her suddenly assumed part of an operator.

Luther swallowed visibly but brought out a data slate from the folds in his tunic. "The exchange will happen on Eden. This contains the location and all the codes you'll need." He said passing Vala the data slate as she carried the concrete block back to Lillia. "You'll find a shipment of synth-food waiting to be loaded onto your Chariot. The slate has the details of that as well."

"Let's go." Lillia ordered, slipping the data slate into her duster coat and striding from the Administratum archive. Her enhanced eyes had caught the slightly darker patch of shadows that had appeared moments after she drew her Blade. She flared her Psyker powers as much as possible without manifesting anything and tried to impress an idea into Rodney's mind. She was nowhere near powerful enough for pure telepathy or astral projection but she could pass along a general idea. As a response a wave of cold fire swept through her body as her Replicon cells went haywire. She hated it when he did that!

"I want an extra three percent for the finder's fee!" Luther called after them just as the Free Trader and the Federation operator were about to leave the archive. He chuckled as he walked back into the storage bay imagining the massive pile of Credits he was about to receive. Enough to finally get off this rock, enough to buy his own estate in the Milky Way or perhaps Pegasus and finally settle down with another wife. Or four.

McKay phased through the wall totally silent, approaching the Jaffa from behind. Sexual desire mixed with pure avarice flared from the Jaffa and he felt slightly ill from the proximity. "It's only up from here!" Clerk Luther gleefully exclaimed as he kicked a piece of the Beliskner class ship further into the room.

"For you sins you shall know absolute terror." McKay whispered into the man's ear. And then the Nightmare Shroud took him.

Administrator Durell found Clerk Luther hanging from roof of the Administratum archive. The funeral was a quick affair only a few Mechanicus and Durell attended. Everyone else that knew Luther had died when the Imperial Navy had hit his homeworld with an Exterminatus during the Replicon War.

* * *

Eden. If irony could be personified it would be this place. The planet was a dust ball, its entire surface a pale yellow or orange punctuated only by sharp jagged streaks of black. Barren and almost inhospitable, native life having not bothered to rise above the unicellular, it had never been of much interest to the Asgard and the Replicators had overlooked it because of its isolated position way-out on the spiral arm. The only redeeming factor was the massive supply of precious heavy metals that wormed their way through the planet's crust. The black fog of the Mechanicus's 'quick & dirty' extractor seemed to stretch half way around the globe. Sight of the Order's last and foolish stand the mining colony boasted a singular Crow suspended between the ternary moons, polar Halos and a half-dozen Aegis Platforms not to mention a Chollima Cruiser commanded by the foulest tempered Officer Vala had ever had the displeasure of talking too.

"I don't care how legal it is. You're not landing with a Pulse weapon of that power." The Cruiser's Captain snapped glaring daggers from his slumped position in his chair.

"You can't stop me. I have the right to land on any Imperial trading world as long as I have no record with the Ordo Pacis Arxs. I don't; so it's a violation of the Free Traders' charter for us to even be having this conversation." Vala retorted with a pleasant and cheery smile half wondering if this would be a good time to test out Nioskops skills.

"Listen lady. If you try and push it I'll have every single Platform open fire. Then we'll see just how smug you are." The Captain growled and ended the Vox transmission with an abrupt motion off screen.

"Nioskop take us in." Vala ordered, ignoring the grin that the pilot flashed her.

"Captain!" McKay shouted addressing both Vala and Nioskop at the same time. "Wouldn't it be better to just take the Lander? Perhaps docking the _Flower_ at the Crow instead of taking her planet-side?" The disguised hybrid offered; rather hesitant to start deflecting Railgun rounds and Las Cannonade this early in the mission.

"Fine." Vala conceded with a pout. "But you're loading up the Lander with that synth stuff." She ordered with a smile, taking a small amount of pleasure heaping the demanding job upon the Jaffa.

The starport was a massive complex capable of taking up to ten Chariot's at a time, a testament to the immense output of the mines, stretching away from it were prefab houses all blackened with soot and scarred by sandstorms. Their Lander touched down quietly in a quiet corner a team ready and waiting to unload the synth-food. Chaka had decided to stay with the piece of military hardware so he could help unload the synth food and discourage the overtly curious. While secretly keeping Nioskop from wandering off on his own.

"We're looking for… The Tree of Life." Vala muttered to Lillia and McKay as they followed her into the bustling market. Everywhere Free Traders were haggling with the locals while the few Imperial personnel scattered around were unnecessarily jostled by the crowd.

"Rodney." Lillia whispered moving closer to McKay's bulky body. "Are you sure we shouldn't destroy this thing altogether?" She hissed her hand straying to the concrete box.

"Don't worry. I removed all the kiron pathways. It's just a shiny lump of Naquadah with a monopolar field." Mckay replied with a smile, his wife only frowned back. "You can trust me Lillia. I would never endanger you, or anyone else." McKay tried to reassure but from the brief flash of uncertainty he knew she was still mortally terrified of the Replicons.

It took a surprising amount of willpower to prevent himself from simply vaporising the Replicator block just to make Lillia feel better. The mission be dammed. How hard would it be? He could tear apart every single Human on this dirt ball and rip the information they were after from their still warm minds. Nothing here would stop him. Nothing would ever stop him. It could be so easy. As quickly as the urge came he shoved it down.

"I know Rodney it's just…" Lillia trailed off shrugging helplessly.

"If you two are done? I found the place." Vala grumbled nodding towards a rundown looking prefab a little ways down a mostly deserted side street.

The bar was filled almost to the brim with miners and dishevelled looking Free Traders. The air was thick with smoke and the smell of Human perspiration. The strip lighting on the ceiling was so weak that the entire room existed in a perpetual twilight and flickered every time something landed or took off. Small booths were scattered about haphazardly illuminated by small bulbs or candles. An entire wall was dedicated to a massive Hololith that listed every single Chariot's departure/arrival times, capacity, destination and their Free Trader. High upon the opposite wall someone had painted the stylised sun-in-triangle of the Federation marking the bar as noteworthy to Federation personnel. However above the main bar another person had brutally carved a warped Machina Opus. The half machine skull replaced with a leering death's head.

"What a lovely place." Vala growled as a man covered head to toe in a layer of soot pushed past her to get outside. "You two mingle into the crowd. I'll go meet our contact." Lillia and McKay made no sign of hearing her but they both moved deeper into the throng of people.

Vala arrived at the bar a few minutes later thankful once again for making the extra effort to get herself the Vanir boots. They made stamping on people's feet all the more satisfying. "Wh't you'll h've." The heavily muscled barkeeper grunted over the ambient noise.

"I'll have the house poison." Vala replied gesturing vaguely at the unmarked large Armaplas bottles stacked behind the bar.

The barkeeper nodded slightly. "Decicred." He said holding out a large bear paw of a hand for the Credits.

"That'a a bit much." Vala whined but handed over a small clear crystal. "Sorry don't carry cash." She smiled at the man's impassive face deliberately rattling the metal Credit chips in her pocket slightly.

The barkeeper made an uncommitted sound but took a data slate from somewhere in his dirt smeared overall. For Vala the entire world seemed to freeze as the barkeeper stared down at the data slate his small dark eyes flickering about deciphering the codes within. With a small ping the crystal was ejected and returned to Vala. Without a word the barkeeper moved over to one of the Armaplas tanks and drew out a large glass of pale yellow liquid. Vala chanced a glance at her two Imperial shadows. They were both the slightly behind her in the general mob around the Plasteel counter but they managed to fit in quite well. Her attention was drawn as two men, a miner and a derelict looking Free Trader, suddenly threw themselves at each other. Faster than she thought possible a circle of cheering patrons had formed with bets flying left and right.

"'Scuse us." The barkeeper grunted while handing her the glass and reached under the bar. In a single well practiced motion he smashed the Shock Maul into the two fighting men. They dropped like lead weights unconscious to the floor amongst the pitiless laughter of the other patrons. "O're there." He muttered jerking his head to a small booth bathed in a slightly darker patch of shadows.

Vala sunk into the booth with ease facing an attractive dark skinned woman across from her and a pasty looking man hidden in the corner. "Does she have it?" The man hissed.

"Quiet." The woman snapped back making the man sink deeper into his shadowy corner. "I am Katana Labrea of the Federation of Free Trade and Enterprise. This is Kanayo a member of the Alliance. And you are?" The woman asked in a pleasant tone.

"Vala Mal Doran, independent Free Trader." Vala replied with a slight nod as the two across from her shared a glance.

"Now that the introductions are out of the way. Do you have the 'cargo' from Luther?" Katana Labrea asked all trace of her sunny disposition gone.

"Of cour…" Vala was interrupted as the large doors were kicked open and a four man gang, each one proudly displaying the warped Machina Opus, wandered in pushing aside the other patrons and generally being loud as they carved a path towards the bar.

"Idiots." Kanayo hissed as he watched the gang take over most of the bar's counter. "They were warned about their behaviour." Vala turned slightly to watch, surprised that the Alliance man knew these thugs. After their thrashing by the Imperial Navy and Pacis Arx the Alliance had taken to being far more subtle in their criminal activities.

"Oh frak." Vala moaned dropping her head into her palm. The other two in the booth followed the Free Trader's gaze to where the gang had surrounded the pretty new face.

McKay kept his body glued, literally, to the bar the glass in his hand filled with a slowly boiling froth. Lillia's forced laughter filtered through the ambient buzzing of Human speech as the leader of the ganger's little group delivered another butchered chat up line. The barkeeper like everyone else kept their eyes averted from the group.

The temperature in the room seemed to drop when Lillia let out a yelp when one of the gangers grabbed her ass. The entire building almost went up in a full blown Particle Whip blast when the largest one grabbed her by the arms. For his trouble he received a, rather mild, slap that only knocked a few teeth out. Annoyed by the woman's continued resistance to their advances the leader spun her around and reared back his fist to teach her a lesson.

McKay's glass exploded in his hand.

"Oh! Someone got a problem?" The smallest of the gangers mocked as he turned towards the noise. Lillia used the distraction to slip form their circle and vanish into the crowd.

"Yeah, Jaffa? What's a fancy guy from the Way doing out here?" The supposed leader leered waving his hand in the dark and smoky air.

"What's the matter Snake got your tongue?" Another jeered when McKay didn't respond. The four gangers had now surrounded McKay's position at the bar their hands moving towards the weapons at their waists.

"I'm talking to you!" The leader roared as he grabbed the supposed Jaffa and spun him around so he could see his face. That look of terror on someone's face was what he lived for.

McKay was already in motion before he had fully turned. The Lantean devices in his eyes making everything appear to move in slow motion. His hand shot forward and grabbed the ganger's wrist. With a sharp tug he pulled the man off balance and slammed his arm into the bar top, the Vibroknife falling from suddenly limp fingers. He kicked out catching a second ganger in the gut and froze the other two in nightmarish visions with a glance. McKay reared back his fist preparing a nice resonance wave that would leave the man blind and screaming in agony.

A black blur flew between the two of them and settled on the counter in a flutter of black cloth. McKay blinked at the young boy, who didn't even look older than twenty, as he overenthusiastically slammed his palms on the counter. "Hey look they've got cauim!" He called over his shoulder.

All eyes in the bar turned towards the door where two significantly older people, a man and a woman, were standing in identical black cloaks. The entire room seemed to take a breath when their eyes fell upon the stylised I that marked them as part of the Pacis Arxs. The woman clicked her tongue and the entire room flinched everyone suddenly finding the bottom of their glasses or a part of the floor very interesting.

"Don't go running off by yourself. You curved in the head or something?" The woman barked sneering at the young rookie.

"Aw, don't be like that Commander. See!" He waved his hands over the entire room. "There's lots of Free Traders here." His accent was thick Segemntum Calu, which would explain why he couldn't read the situation very well. Most planets there were primitive backwaters.

"He is correct." The male rumbled; his voice like gravel being fired out of a Battle Cannon.

The woman clicked her tongue again. "Fine." She stormed over to the large Hololith easily making her way to the front and began searching through the list.

The ganger McKay had been about to cripple took the momentary distraction to wretch his arm free and made a dahs for the door followed by his compatriots. He paused long enough to swear revenge and some other rather clichéd lines before he vanished into the backstreets of Eden. This seemed to break the patrons from their Arxs induced slump and the volume slowly returned as conversations broke out again.

"That was a good thing you did." The young Arx said grinning like a fool. "It's a rare mercenary that doesn't instantly go for the kill." McKay realised that the boy was pointing at the sheathed blade at his hip. In all honesty he had forgotten it even existed, it had been a long time since he had needed to hold a weapon.

"I guess." McKay grunted turning back to the bar and watching Vala from the corner of his eye. He vaguely registered that Lillia was now sitting beside the Free Trader and conversing happily with the Federation agent.

"Say what's your name?" McKay grunted at the Arx question and spared the black cloaked youth a glance. He tensed, unconsciously lengthening his fingers into blades, when he caught a flicker of a vast and brutal cunning in the boy's eyes before it was replaced with good natured simplicity.

"Mephet'ran." McKay answered gruffly hoping the Arx would leave him alone in case they drew too much unwanted attention.

"I'm Cain. Cain Inthema and we're looking for a ship. Do you know a good one?" The Arx pronounced happily ignoring the many glares and mutterings of the patrons around him.

"Depends were you're going." McKay answered curtly and strolled off into the crowd until he was sure the Arx boy had lost him in the sea of miners and Free Traders.

"And payment." Katana Labrea ground out as Kanayo once again spun the small concrete block between his fingers.

"Yes." Kanayo remained distracted as he pulled out a single white crystal and almost threw it at Vala. "Now if you'll excuse me I've got a Chariot to catch." The Genii native hastily muttered as he stuffed the block into his jacket and stood.

"Sorry about him. Alliance goons always get jittery when the Arxs are about." Katana smiled at the two across form her; the professional air she had been exuding being replaced with a far more relaxed demeanour.

"It's no problem." Lillia replied shortly her displeasure of letting the Replicator block out of her sight coming to the front.

"I know this was one curvy op. and frag me if I don't want that thing to burn in the heart of a star but it's the job." She paused watching as the other two women nodded slowly and reluctantly. "Speaking of which; since you carried this off you're obviously trustworthy and reliable. So… how would you feel running another little errand?" Katana was all innocence and sweetness but her eyes were hard as she watched Vala and Lillia for a reaction. There had been much talk about this _Flower of Carnage_ and her crew. Whatever kind of ship had to pack that much firepower and alarmed the local Imperial bulldog that much was either a blessing or a curse.

"What kind of errand?" Vala asked warily, she didn't think her Imperial watchdogs could stomach any more weapons trading.

"A lucrative one. Thirty seven tons of Naquadah." Katana had to repress a giggle when Vala's eyes came to life. "We need it delivered to Kelkean within three standard weeks. I'm sure you ship is up to the task."

"Of course. Standard rates for Naquadah; but because we're friends I'll knock five percent off that." Katana seemed amused by Vala's offer and extended her had across the table.

"It's a deal then Vala Mal Doran. I'll have the slate work sent to you Lander and we'll begin ferrying the cargo up to your Chariot." She pulled out a slightly bulky data slate and Vala's eyes widened in surprise when she recognised it as a remote Muninn terminal. That was some seriously expensive technology. The huge holo-board flickered and changed revealing the _Flower of Carnage_'s new status to the world. "Half and half; as always." Katana smiled and with that she downed her until then untouched drink and vanished into the crowd.

"HI Captain!" Nioskop shouted waving his hand and jumping up and down as he spotted the three man team coming towards the Lander. "You'll never guess what we've done!" Vala froze, just for a second, at the ominous overtones of that comment before she managed to reassure herself that if nothing was on fire it couldn't be that bad.

"What now?" Vala growled as Chaka finally silenced Nioskop and dragged him back into the Lander.

"Hi again." McKay flinched at the voice and stared in disbelief at the three black cloaked Pacis Arxs standing just inside their Lander. Cain just continued to wave happily.

"Um, hello." Vala managed as the young man slid from his seat upon a cargo pallet and slid over to them.

"It's nice to meet you. I'm Cain Inthema." He pointed at the female who just glared back intensely. "This is Commander Gurron." He pointed at the large male who didn't even twitch a muscle in response. "And that is Sergeant Nisi. We'll be renting you ship!"

No fucking way. There could not BE a way his luck was so bad that they legally picked up a handful of Pacis Arxs. McKay blinked dumbly as the little Arxs continued to ramble on much to the apparent annoyance of the other two. For the first time the Star God spared them a careful glance.

Cain was smaller than the other two almost disappearing into his cloak and he assumed that the Un-Powered Armour beneath would be in a similar state. His hair was long and shaggy the same colour that his had been once. His features were sharp but boyish and he moved in a surprisingly graceful manner. Gurron was shorter than average, her face held the roundness common amongst the Protected Planets and had her platinum blonde hair pulled back in a tight bun. Nisi was massive towering over even McKay in his false form. His head was bald with a line of metal studs receding from his right eyebrow round the top of his head. His olive skin was highlighted with swirling white patterns mottled into his cheeks and down his neck.

"Will you now?" Vala's rhetoric stung like acid as she slowly turned to face Lillia and McKay.

"Mind explaining this?" She ground out tapping her foot in impatience.

"It wasn't us." McKay offered sheepishly. He took the timely distraction of Cain and Nioskop reducing each other to hysterics to lean in and whisper. "There're not part of the mission."

Vala seemed unsure for a moment but relented with a shrug. It was, after all, just more Credits for her. "Chaka! Nioskop! Get their stuff loaded we need to get back to the _Flower_. Lillia if you would be so kind and arrange a flight path for us with starport control."

The three Imperial Officers sprang into action giving a good impression of a well-oiled Free Trader crew. "What about me?" McKay enquired, hopping to get away from Cain for a while.

Vala pulled McKay to the side as Nioskopt and Cain continued to be odd together. "Mephet'ran listen. Loading their gear and the Naquadah is gonna take a while. There´s this old 'friend' of mine living in the slums that owes me a favour… or six. Find him and get as much info as you can about the Federation in the local Sectors." With that she pushed him on his way loudly denouncing his ability to help load the Lander. While McKay walked off no one noticed Cain vanish as well.

* * *

McKay grumbled darkly as he walked down yet another deserted and unkempt street. Vala's contact had been so drunk off his ass that he had to sieve through the man's memories to get anything lucid from him. He shivered at the very recollection of the slum; his superhuman senses had made it abundantly clear just how low these people had sunk. So caught up in his grumbling about being lost and fantasies of shedding the outer layer of his Necrodermis just so he could feel clean again; he didn't notice the mob of about twenty gangers until they were practically on top of him.

He vaguely recognised the idiot he had smacked around in the bar earlier beside an impressively muscled man covered in self-inflicted tattoos. Two burly men grabbed a hold of each of his arms so tightly that if he had been Human he would have been almost completely helpless. Inside his mind the C'tan-Human sighed in relief. Finally; something he could take his frustration out on.

"I see you brought friends." McKay drawled his unimpressed gaze sweeping over the gangers that surrounded him.

"We'll teach you to frak with us!" The one from earlier shouted raising a malicious cheer form his comrades. And what McKay supposed was supposed to be a dark and sinister chuckle from the leader.

"No." His elbows slammed into the two men holding his arms. The unleashed resonance waves liquidating their organs instantly. "You should have brought more." The bodies crumbled to the ground like marionettes with their strings cut. He grinned ridding on the waves of power that screamed for release.

There was a charge of energy, a slight ripple of the air, a movement so fast and small that to a Human it never happened at all. The leader of the gang had just managed to realise that two of his men were dead when the rest followed. An organic sound like tearing silk, like water exploding. A deluge of scarlet rain.

And then there were two.

McKay turned fully towards the only remaining gangers in the street his single Human eye glowing a putrid green. He motioned with his hand, slowly and deliberately, the leader frozen in place gently floated towards the angered Star God. The monomolecular strand of Necrodermis made no sound as it flickered through the air; it wasn't even slowed by the Human's neck. McKay allowed the body to fall headless to the ground as he turned his full attention upon the fool that had instigated this fight – no, this slaughter.

The last ganger took a half step backwards before his knees buckled under the overwhelming feeling of oppressive terror that soaked into the air. McKay slid forward until he loomed over the near catatonic ganger his eye illuminating his face in ghastly mask of shadows.

"You are so fragile." The ganger whimpered as he felt ghostly fingers run down the side of his face. "Already your simple mind begins to fracture. Pray; that you never know the truth of this universe."

The ganger choked back a scream as the monster before him raised its hand and he was forced to do the same. The limb waved mockingly in front of his face for a moment before the thing spoke up again.

"You know a friend once told me that the Human body is a wondrous thing. He said, that in moments of great stress it can overcome almost any limitation. I think I'll test that." The ganger began to hyperventilate and scream incoherently as his mouth opened while his rebellious hand grabbed a hold of his tongue. "I wonder how much force it would take to pull out that tongue you like to run off so much."

The ganger screamed, he pleaded, he cried, he howled nonsense into the uncaring street and each time his arm tugged a little harder and a little longer. All the while the abomination just looked on mildly amused. Just as he felt his nails dig into his tongue control of his limbs returned and with a jerk he collapsed backwards.

McKay half listened to Vala's voice in the comm-bead as he stared down at the ganger wallowing in a puddle of his own urine. "Well little man. Seems I have to go. You won't tell anyone." The hybrid smiled happily down at the semi-insane ganger. "Right?" He growled and vanished into the shadows before the man had even finished nodding furiously.

"How naïve. Still what would you expect from a civilian." The voice was deep and condescending; it shattered the stunned silence that hung in the street like a hammer on glass. A small figure almost completely hidden within the folds of his black cloak stepped into the street.

The ganger threw himself at the humanoid figure tears streaming from his eyes. He didn't care that it was an Arx uniform. He didn't care that the man looked no older twenty. All that mattered was another Human was there. "Please help me!" The man grovelled clinging to the hem of the black cloak. "Please! I'll tell you whatever you want! I'll inform! Just get me away from here!"

"What a mess." Cain muttered eyeing the dripping blood with disdain; ignoring the trembling man at his feet. "At least a clean-up crew will be here soon." He continued turning his dispassionate eyes to the ganger. "And you, I don't think you know how lucky you are to be alive. Do you?"

The ganger froze as the Arxs blithe statement registered in his fractured mind. "Emperor help me! What if it comes back?" He hissed eyes wide and frantic his hands closing in a death grip on Cain's cloak.

Cain forcefully pulled the man to his feet with a quite sigh. "A god has no place here. Only the dammed." Before the ganger could question him Cain's hand shot through his chest like a spear. Sliding in-between ribs with ease until he could grasp the fool's heart.

The ganger gasped and wretched staring wide eyed at the bored look on Cain's face. "Accept death now. It is far easier than what is to come." The ganger helplessly clawed at Cain's face before he froze.

The sclera of his eyes blossomed into crimson, blood leaked from his nose and ears and his entire body went rigid as every muscle spasmed at once. His veins bulged grotesquely all across his body, bones groaned under the strain and his teeth shattered as his clenched jaws slammed shut. The last thing he felt before his eyes rolled into the back of his skull and he lost consciousness was his own body slowly pulling itself apart.

"**The rewards of tolerance are treachery and betrayal**." Cain whispered withdrawing his hand from the ganger's chest. "The Marshal shall be interested in this. But… the primary mission takes precedence." The Pacis Arxs melted back into the shadows of Eden's backstreets leaving behind no trace of his presence.

* * *

O'Neill had commandeered himself and Hailey a pair of decent quarters on-board the _Moon Reader_. Situated just under the Bridge they were ideal for getting into the heart of the action while also having a hefty amount of Adamantium between them and space. However the distant hum of the Genatorium would seep through the walls if the plasma reactors were stressed. And he knew from experience that when the ship got up to full speed the screaming of inertial dampeners and the engines themselves would come right from the Egineerium into his skull. The Vortex class Destroyer was the spear tip of the 33rd's fleet and the only fast moving vessel with proper H.M.I. standard orbital strike capabilities. He had vaguely considered going aboard the _Crimson Strife_ for nostalgia's sake but reconsidered when he learned it was I-301 heavy rather than Drop Pod equipped. Teal'c, as was his duty, had taken up residence in the flagship, the _Kasunagi _a Sol Dreadnought, and the majority of the 33rd was spread over a series of Valhallas and Mjolnirs. The Hoffan Clone Legions had chosen to spread themselves across the Battleships and Cruisers. The specialised groups such as the Genii and Reetou were all aboard the Battlegroup's other Dreadnought the _Roots of Io_.

Even though they were called a single Battlegroup they were pulling almost even with a Sector Fleet. He began to muse on his original self's rather brazen manoeuvring. This deployment was far too obvious; a knife held at the throat of the Covenant. The question of the moment was: why? It was either to see how they would react, which could cost the Imperium dear, or a good old fashioned threat. He pushed his musing aside as Hailey escorted an aged man in the grey robes of the Ecclesiarchy.

O'Neill's eyes flickered across the man noting the red collar that signified him as a Chaplain. Taking a mental note of the man rather high standing he continued searching for a symbol of any recognised religion; finding none he decided to treat the Chaplain more like one of the planetary Administrators than a holy man. He far preferred dealing with the more laid back and administrative side of the Ecclesiarchy than the actual Preachers.

"And what can we do for you Chaplain?" O'Neill asked as he threw his feet onto the hastily prepared desk DeWyman had somehow procured. He never questioned the clone's methods; plausible deniability had been hammered into him by a lifetime in the military.

The Ecclesiarchy man twisted the flat cap in his hands as he stared at the legs of O'Neill's desk. "Well sir, begging my pardon, but some of your soldiers are getting… boisterous around the worshipers."

The man glanced hesitantly at the Hero of the Imperium and seemed to shrink deeper into his grey robes. "Please continue." O'Neill gently prompted sharing an exasperated glance with DeWyman.

"It's just that some of them interrupted an Ancestral Vigil last night and this morning there was a fight outside the Emperor's temple. Something to do with a God and an Allah if that means anything to you." The man continued squeezing the life out of his cap as he explained the problems the local Ecclesiarchy had been dealing with. "It's not that we mind them. Far from it. But Section 3 was round earlier asking about the disturbances..." The man trailed off and O'Neill knew why. Investigation from Section 3 was practically a death sentence for any religious sect.

"I'll have a talk with them." O'Neill answered nodding slightly to DeWyman. The clone silently moved off to begin his work.

"Thank you sir. If there's anything…" The Chaplain's kowtowing was interrupted when the deep bass voice of the ship's Machine Spirit boomed out through the wall-Vox.

"**All hands. All hands. Action stations. Action stations**." On his desk a Hololithic display burst into life information scrolling across it far too fast for the inexperienced eye to follow.

"Huh." O'Neill grunted as the klaxons began to wail scaring the Chaplain from his office and sending him racing towards the nearest Beaming station to abandon ship. "It was only a matter of time I suppose."

"What was sir?" Hailey asked leaning over O'Neill's shoulder to get a better look at the holo-tank.

"Quite a good declaration of war, don't you think?" He asked instead of answering. He gestured at the galaxy displayed in the Hololith as a single pinprick of light turned blood red.


	6. The Elegant Flower of Evil

"Normal speech."

"**Gothic**." **And betas Comments**

"Telepathy."

"_Ship names or written works_."

* * *

Partysane: Thank you, and sorry for the wait again but this is the optimum speed I can manage for the length I need. Sorry about the cliff-hangers but I thought it added to the intrigue of the scene. I'll be sure to remind him. _Service eternal_.

**And let me add that the partially conflicting schedules of He Who Writes and Me, Who Betas don't make the speed any faster. So don't heap all the complaints on the writer, it's my fault as well, partly. **

ziasyn: Thanks for the review. you'll just have to read on and see. The Unas and other Xenos get by on the 'I can't see it so it isn't my problem' mind set the Space Marines have adopted. They have exepted that the Xenos that helped the Tau'ri are 'good' and everything else is 'bad'. They still dislike them but they don't activly attack them. _The Emperor is forever, you are not._

* * *

**Heresy Through the Wormhole Part 1: This Impure World – The Elegant Flower of Evil**

* * *

He sat immobile, the faint flickering of the candle to his left casting deep and jagged shadows across the room. The stylus, carved from a feather, hovered above the sheet of parchment small blots of ink dripping from its end. If he did this it would be opening the door to all forms of heresy. Before doubt could set in again he scribbled down the date. A sigh escaped his lips when the door wasn't kicked down or a Prior appeared wreathed in flame. With another deep breath he began.

_16__th__ day in Return of the Gods. Fourth Crusade, season six._

_My name is Tomin. Paladin Leader in the Order of Radiance. _

_I am writing this because… even though it borders on heresy I think someone should know. Someone should know the things I will see… and do. _

_I will attempt, when able, to chronicle my time as a Paladin Leader and the battles I shall fight with the Great Enemy._

_But first I must write this down. Even if it is only to help me remain sane. Someone must know of the nightmares I have suffered._

_It happened again today, it was what pushed me to finally start writing all this down. Even now I can feel myself relaxing for the first time in days. However I still cannot shake this feeling. Something feels so wrong._

_Maybe if I just lay it all out I will get over it._

_My dreams all begin the same way. Every time I close my eyes. The same image…_

_I see a world verdant and bountiful, like Celestis, but it is not the Holy World. It seeps light into the darkness a million billion tiny torches that mark out a sprawling pattern across its surface. I have never seen such a display in my life. Hanging around it a hundred thousand tiny vessels drift to and fro. Not the dignified Dominators or virtuous Flagellants, shaped after the Holy Sigil, but these strange arrow-headed blocks of dark grey metal in all multitude of forms but all following the same basic design._

_This foreign visage hangs for a second or what could be an eternity. Then I see a shadow. A shadow that reaches out from this strange world expanding into the cosmos in every direction. It suffocates me. Crushes my frail body as if the entire ocean were resting upon my shoulders. I am swallowed whole by this apparition. One by one the stars are engulfed and snuffed out like candles until only darkness and this alien world remains. _

_And then the true horror begins._

_Words cannot describe the things I see. They flash past in an instant but I catch things sometimes. I see strange new worlds in flames, I see Dominators and those strange arrow-ships hanging limp and broken amongst the stars, I see ruined bodies piled upon bodies upon bodies until they touch the heavens, I see machines powered by magicks I will never understand towering over mountains, I see an ocean of blood that eclipses even the sun, I see a creature of black wings and horns tear apart armies, I see bodies broken and sundered in ways that defies sanity and I see Them._

_They are the true horrors that haunt me. Those two, out of all the universe… just Them. _

_One is like fire and ice and such tightly controlled hatred. It is his eyes that will forever haunt me. How can one man hate so much? What could inspire such loathing? What hope can we muster against that?_

_The other is the night and the storm at the heart of a star; uncontrollable fury that erases all before it. __Mennisc Cwalm.__ Whenever I look upon Him I can see only ashes, age and power, the orbit of stars, and the wheel of time. He burns with an ancient and mighty rage and trembles with a fear deeper than the roots of the mountains. _

_Tonight's nightmare was of my most frequent vision. _

_I am watching a sunrise that will never come. It is the most beautiful thing I have seen in my life. My throat is torn from screaming and screaming. My voice has long been lost to the wind and all that remains is the creaking of the slowly cooling Vestments and the dilapidated flapping of our once proud standards. Across this alien field to the horizon in any direction stretches the shredded remains of our Crusade. Corpses fill every possible spot; piling upon one another their faces stretched into rictuses of agony. Once mighty war machines lie shattered and torn open, the burning remains of a Dominator marrs the skyline like metallic hills and a million million Light Bearers stand stabbed into the ground like makeshift grave markers. Even then there is not enough. There never will be. Above me the dawn sky is so full of stars. Each one an exploding ship – one of ours. Tears stream down my face as I stare transfixed at that never-ending sunrise. _

_And standing before me is Him. _

_I cannot describe how it feels to look upon that thing hiding under the guise of a man; it is as if he were holding my heart in his metal hand and clenching his bladed fingers slowly. Slowly he turns towards me, that simple green tunic that I have grown to hate and fear utterly immaculate. Untouched by even a single droplet of blood or dirt or filth that stains even the sky. Almost as if the world is afraid to touch him. I do not blame it. _

"_Nothing is eternal." His voice is unlike anything I have ever experienced. It echoes inside my mind, tainting my very soul. A noise like a crumbling mountain that shakes even the world underlies that terrible whisper._

_Then I awaken in a cold sweat sometimes shouting, sometimes screaming and sometimes too scared to even breathe. But every time I know, in the deepest pit of my soul, I know._

_They shall fight us amongst the stars. They will fight us at the landings. They will fight us in the fields. They will fight us in their cities. They will fight us; in the hills and in the air._

_They shall never surrender._

_And I am afraid._

Tomin closed the leather bound book with a heavy sigh. His soul felt lighter now but at the same time he was even more anxious. There was real, physical, evidence of his cowardice and vision like dreams. He lifted the book and took careful aim at the fireplace. Not even the Priors would be able to reconstruct his testimony from ashes. With a small snort he shrugged and replaced the tome. No use worrying now; he had a long day tomorrow. The final preparations were under way. Soon they would bring Light to the Darkness. Soon their Holy Crusade would begin.

Soon he would have a very real reason to be afraid.

* * *

"**Commence operations**."

The words trickled through the Vox in what seemed like slow motion. Time slowed to a standstill as he became one with the Machine Spirit. The Destroyer's central A.I. almost gleefully heightened every single one of his senses to the limit of his endurance in anticipation of the battle to come. He could taste dark matter, smell sub-space, hear gamma rays and see the hyperspace window before it even formed. His skin blistered as it was mercilessly bombarded with Vox transmissions from the slowly spinning Halo station proclaiming its independence from the Imperium. The shattered remains of the Tsunchien System's Taskforce were scattered between the Nascent World and its twin moons. Both Terran Defenders were little more than debris fields the scrap bearing the markings of high speed impact and a serious Naquadah detonation. The three Assailants had been sliced up by the traitorous Halo station probably before they even knew what was going on and the Vajar's hulk was half burnt up in the planet's upper atmosphere. The Destroyer Squadron began to accelerate along an attack vector at the only remaining orbital instillation.

He felt it as the Destroyer's crew put the ship into its classic spin but he ignored the sensation of fluctuating gravity and the dizzying effect of the spinning star field to focus on the Drones. Streams of yellow light exploded from the sides of the _Moon Reader_ spinning in a twin trail of destruction behind the near light-speed Destroyer. He guided them in clusters knowing that the Machine Spirit would compensate for any small errors. Defensive fire lashed out from the Halo. Railgun rounds slammed into the Drone cloud, shattering the deadly weapons in miniature explosions; Plasma Lances followed a moment later, the deadly beams of purest white light slamming into the bow of a Longinus to his Port. The Destroyer slowed its Void Shield draining power from its engines to fend off the deadly assault. The huge blue blasts of the Pulse Cannons raced out to meet them but the speeding Destroyers proved too fast for the relatively slow weapons to hit. The three Longinus Destroyers finally answered with their own Plasma Lances raking their deadly beams across the monstrously powerful Void Shield of the station moments before they went screaming past.

In that instant when the Void Shield was momentarily weakened he pounced. The first wave of Drones struck with pin point precision, many of the Ancient weapons managing to phase through the fluctuating Void Shield. A hundred Drones slammed into each Plasma Lance shattering the weapons and tearing out most of the surrounding decks. With a thought he tasked the _Moon Reader_'sMachine Spirit to guide the second wave towards the still active Pulse Cannons and Railgun mounts. He personally took control of the third and final wave guiding them in towards the station's shield generator. The overtaxed point defence didn't manage to fend off the deadly assault; the shimmering wall of energy faltered and finally failed just as the Destroyer Squadron left the range of the Halo station.

He snapped back to the real world as the chair shifted position and its internal lights faded. Instantly he was assaulted by the high pitched wail of the inertial dampeners as they fought to keep the crew and Destroyer in one piece. From his position at the rear of the _Moon Reader_'s Bridge he could see that they were about to enter a shallow orbit around Tsunchien's bright yellow star before looping back round to meet up with the main fleet.

"Sir, are you all right?" Hailey's voice sounded strained in his comm-bead. Turning his head to look down at her he offered a goofy smile instead of an answer. She just rolled her eyes and returned to watching the tactical plot.

Teal'c had remained on the _Kasunagi_ with the main fleet as they patrolled the Segmentum Titanicus-Elysium Segmentum border. The newly promoted Sector Commander had entrusted the Tsunchien operation to General Raza Muhammad of the Terran 33rd and Major General Ellis commanding from the Plasma Lance laden Gungnir Battleship the _Jealous Cherubim_. The two Valhallas and Mjolnir that the Terran 33rd were spread over flashed into existence just outside of the Halo station's attack range. The two Fleet Shields materialised almost instantly encasing the three Battlecruisers in the near impenetrable wall of energy. The _Jealous Cherubim _was far more brazen and jumped in almost on top of the mostly disarmed Halo.

"**Surrender or be destroyed. You have two standard minutes**." Ellis commanded as the Railguns along his ship began bombarding their remaining counterparts on the Halo.

"Sir, the first wave of Landers are away. The Cohort I is reporting no contact from any ground-based defence batteries." Hailey reported finally being able to speak without resorting to the Vox network.

"It's a pain that we can't use the transporters until we've captured the two Beam Constructors. Still having to sit in the back of those lumbering birds is better than being atomised." O'Neill complained fruitlessly trying to pick out Tsunchien from the stars. "Even if those things are flying targets." He muttered to himself. The amount of times he'd seen and unfortunately been in a shot down Lander was exasperatingly high. It had been a favoured tactic of the Replicons to hit them just after the I-301 escorts broke off and just before the antigravity decelerators kicked in. Right at the moment where a fall would pancake the entire craft.

O'Neill dragged his thoughts away from the past as a series of urgent bleeps from the Vox alerted the crew to an incoming priority transmission. Ellis's stern face appeared on the screen built into the Colonel's, who was captaining the _Moon Reader_, command chair. O'Neill used the height advantage of the Control Chair to peak over the woman's shoulder and with a silent command to his compressed Semi-Powered Armour his Representative codes allowed him to tune into the Vox channel.

"General Raza Muhammad has expressed concerns about any Free Traders hiding in the Kuiper belt or even further out in the Oort cloud. You are to conduct a patrol up to 100 AU out and then establish a picket line at 65 AU. Detain any and all ships; especially those associated with the Federation." Ellis ordered with all the curtness he was famous for. "All operational information voidside is to be relayed to me." With that he cut the Vox link and returned to overseeing the Imperial conquest of Tsunchien's orbit.

"So Hailey, since this is your first time in combat as a Terran Representative where do you want to go? Starside or planetside?" O'Neill asked with a disinterested shrug. Space combat never held much interest to him beyond the aspect of piloting an I-301. However he knew a few of the other Representatives that favoured it over ground pounding.

"I would prefer to be on the ground with the Legion." Hailey answered quickly puffing herself up in case he was just trying to mess with her.

"That 'a girl." O'Neill smiled pushing himself up from the Control Chair. "Inform Lieutenant General Telford that's we'll be going in with the Cohort IX." He ordered the female Colonel as he strode off the Bridge with Hailey hot on his heels.

"I don't like it." Greer hissed at Ellis. There had been deep rivalries between the Terran military, even between branches within the same country. The former Marine stared at the former Airman, neither the type to back down.

"Regardless of your personal feelings. We require information; the Machine Spirit on that Halo station will have recorded everything that happened in this backwater System." Ellis growled, levelling his fiercest glare at the H.M.I..

"Understood sir. I just wished to convey my suspicions that this is a trap. The enemy wouldn't have left such sensitive info just lying around." Greer responded, calmly glancing out the forward facing window at the defenceless Halo station and the several hundred life signs that infested it.

"I thank you for your opinion, Sergeant Major." Ellis stressed Greer's rank, signalling that any further backtalk would be considered insubordination. "But you have your orders." Ellis returned the salute and ignored the 'fuck you' look instead turning the helmsman and ordering corrections to the _Jealous Cherubim_'s course.

Greer growled under his breath. This was why he hated insurgents and terrorists. Just like the Beam Constructors on the planet the transporters on the Halo could be used to disrupt any incoming or outgoing signal. He wouldn't mind having the entire lot of the traitorous bastard spread across half the Segmentum but he also knew that the cowards probably had non-combatants mixed in amongst them. He swore under his breath before nodding to the Gunnery Sergeants in charge of Blue Team and Green Team. All of his High Mobile Infantry Squad fell in behind him as he marched towards the Hangar. He really hated that fighting his own side was so dangerous and frustrating.

"What's the mission Sarge?" Xenophon, youngest of his mean band of misfits, asked with the innocence only an Agiman could manage.

"Same as it always is. Kill the bad guys, grab the prize and go home." Greer answered, plucking the Disruptor thrown to him out of the air.

"Is it gonna be a long hump?" Curtis, the only other former-Marine in the Squad, moaned pulling free his Bolt pistol and rechecking the magazine as they strolled into the _Jealous Cherubim_'s Hangar.

"Course not Gunny, simple smash and grab. We'll ghost those morons in an instant and dedi on out of there." Greer smiled menacingly as he slammed his hand on the closest Puddle Jumper's hatch control. Curtis took his Fireteam and three from Green Team to a second Puddle Jumper. "Enskop be subtle." He ordered as the white haired clone almost threw himself into the Lantean vessel.

"Sergeant Major sir!" The clone yelled back flying through pre-flight in the blink of an eye.

"Does this mean we'll be on fire again?" The hulking wall of muscle that was Atrox asked much to the amusement of the other H.M.I. The Lost Generation slowly swung the Railgun down from his shoulders before he sank into a seat and almost instantly fell asleep.

"Emperor preserve me! I forget how much this thing weighs." Nek'sed groaned as he and Leaa moved the former piece of Battleship point defence. The female Jaffa sighed in exasperation at the Human's overacting and settled down next to Enskop.

"Sincha, Orochi let's go!" Greer shouted at the last two remaining members of Green Team. The Sadetan and his counterpart jogged into the Puddle Jumper muttering apologies to Greer. With one last look around he slapped the large button and watched the ramp slowly close. "Enskop get us to that station."

"Yes sir!" The clone exclaimed, happily shooting forward at top speed, barely dodging a Wing of I-301s before rolling the Puddle Jumper round to face the Halo station. "Light 'em up!" A trio of Drones slammed into Halo station tearing through the weakened armour and blasting a shallow hole in the super structure. A Wing of I-301Cs, Raiders, went shooting past them, their Gauss Pulse Cannons illuminating the Halo in brief bursts of ghostly green light. The Raiders trailed their fire along the station deliberately blasting apart sections already uninhabitable. The two Lantean craft cloaked and shot forward, slipping into their impromptu Hangar under the cover of the Raiders' attack.

"They've shut down power, life-support, gravity… everything short of the wirphen Railgun mounts is dead Sarge." Enskop relayed across the Vox as he guided the Puddle Jumper down next to a sealed bulkhead.

"Alright; zero-g and void tactics. You know the drill, no H.E. and keep energy fire to minimum. Sweep by Fireteams and waste everyone with a weapon." Greer said, standing still to allow the Semi-Powered Armour to expand along his body. The familiar sensation of cold water racing down his spine alerted him to the neural interface activating.

He flexed his hand, the Trinium, Ceramite and Armaplas segments gliding over one another easily, the monopolar fields keeping the plates hermetically sealed against each other and the small layer of micro-servos and fibre bundles below. Greer flexed his neck as the helmet activated. Unlike the bulky head pieces of the Guard Jaffa the Imperium's was almost skin-tight. He never liked the sensation of something growing up his neck and he disliked the claustrophobic effect of the helmet even more. With a final snap the large blank face plate settled into position and pressurised with a gentle hiss. For a moment he screwed his eyes closed and held his breath as the total darkness pressed in upon him and then the HUD activated and he was reacquainted with the Puddle Jumper's interior in a bloom of colour.

"Terrorsight." He muttered, watching closely for faults as the image of his green clad H.M.I. was replaced with a spread of colours showing everything from gamma-rays to the few neutrinos floating through the air. Unlike most he could tolerate the Terrorsight for significant amounts of time before migraines or worse set in, which let him use the device for a whole battle with little consequence.

"Let's rock!" Enskop shouted, opening the Puddle Jumpers hatch in a rush of air.

* * *

"A fine hit." The eldest Prior muttered, watching the still burning hulk of the Terran Defender slam into the Halo. They had learned their lessons from the first raid. The Great Enemy's warship had been hit hard and fast, its armour failing under the sudden barrage of starfire and modulated energy. They hadn't even been able to raise their twisted version of the Light of its Soul before the vessels had faltered. The Elucidator spun in a tight ellipse and exploded after the fleeing Chariots.

The weak and slow vessels were run down before they could even hope to jump to hyperspace. The eldest Prior sneered at the cowardly actions of the Chariots. If but one of them had the courage to ram; then they might have saved their world. Truly these people deserved extermination. To that end he gleefully ordered the few weak life signs in the debris field and lifepods to be fired upon. A quick barrage of starfire missiles into the planet's lonely satellite reduced the small mining base to atoms. Then unopposed they settled into orbit.

"Our mission is to retrieve the heart of one of their magicks a; 'computer' I think." He threw a sharp glare at Unit 066 who stood at his side. The Captain, and by extension all the Blessed Paladins, had become abnormally protective of the captive female; even stranger the eldest of the Priors wouldn't even enter the cell anymore. These oddities and her surprisingly strong will had made interrogating her almost meaningless. Without resorting to simply shredding her mind and picking through the pieces, an action he knew would not end well, they had been forced to take some of the Great Enemy's magicks. "Do not fire upon the main city until we return." The Battleprior ordered fixing both Priors with a stern glance before he swept from the room, Unit 066 in his shadow as always, heading towards the main hall where most of the Blessed Paladins awaited him.

"And what of the rest of this world?" The portly Prior asked, all sweetness and faked disinterest in his tone.

The Battleprior halted at the doorway; not turning to address the two he simply gave them the order he knew they wanted. "Burn it all to ash!"

The Celestial Heart hummed with the magicks of their Elucidator as it launched yet another wave of deadly starfire down on the planet below. The Priors were amusing themselves by taking turns to see who could land the most accurate shot with the starfire missiles. The Order crewmen, with nothing better to do, had started to gamble on the outcomes. The few fights that had broken out amongst the scum of the Imperium had been swiftly and fatally broken up by the looming shadows of the Blessed Paladins.

A bleep at his consul drew the brooding man's eyes down to the elegant white console he was slouched against. His hastily trained eyes flickered over the flowing runes and blocky lettering of the Ascendancy. A few more moments passed, the bleeping becoming more urgent, before he figured out the meaning of the message. "My Lords there is a disturbance in subspace approximately sixty thousand kilometres away." He reported, snorting in indignation when the two Priors failed to respond.

"My Lords!" Another Order cultist shouted dropping his pile of winnings as both Priors slumped to the ground holding their heads and hyperventilating.

"Ori ascendant… it's… it's… beautiful." All eyes were drawn to the forward screen at the muted whisper. Like moths to a flame the Order cultists and Blessed Paladins could do little more and stare at the phenomenon.

Purple and pink swirled in sanity defying shapes dancing like flames and a rip in the very fabric of space seemed to expand from the centre of the impossible inferno. A darkness, blacker that the empty space it was intruding upon, poured from the tear engulfing light and space and reason. Flashes of light flickered across the darkness illuminating nothing within. And then in a single motion something surged out.

One moment there was empty space and the next a truly massive vessel hung in the heavens.

"What… what is that?" Someone hissed, eyes running over the twisted and mangled collection of Imperial ships.

The ship, although it might count as a Hab, was some twenty kilometres long from front to rear. Although it looked like someone had taken a collection of Imperial ships and smashed them together until they stuck there was a disturbing regularity to its design. From the outside it looked like the bow was a Sol and a Ragnarok crushed together so that their wedged prows formed a lopsided cone. Two Cruisers, both Terran Avengers, had been bent at such an angle that the torpedo racks and engines face in roughly a useful direction while the rest of the ships had been melted through through the engine compartments of both Dreadnought and Battleship to form an 'X' motif. A trio of Valhallas had been tied in knots around each other until they were just a ball of vaguely sculpted metal with armaments, sensor pods, chunks of Fleet Shield ring and partially recognisable pieces of hull jutting out at all angles. This had been fused onto the back of the bow and a Squadron of Longinus Destroyers had been stabbed stern first into the Valhalla ball until only their heads stuck up proudly displaying their Plasma Lances. Finally two Orillias and four Terran Defenders had their engines all joined together the wedged prows of the Cruisers diving into the much longer Battleships about half way of their length. The prows of the Orillas for about five hundred meters vanished into the Valhalla ball and their wings had been warped until they pointed along the length of the Space Hulk.

"I'm reading over half a million life signs and something that doesn't make any sense!" The startled cry awoke the cultists' survival instincts. A flurry of activity followed as they spun the Cruiser and accelerated away from the monstrous vessel.

"Identify the vessel!" The elder Prior roared as he collapsed into the command chair the very act of standing seemingly having sucked out all of his energy. "Recall our Unions!"

"My Lord…" One of the cultists whined only to be silenced by the Blessed Paladin next to her snarling. "We cannot raise the ground forces. And…" She trailed off gesturing towards the Blessed Paladin who snarled again and vigorously shook its head.

"My Lord!" Another cultist shouted, dragging the Prior's attention from the sputtering communicator to the main screen. "The ship seems to be composed of several Imperial warships. My Lord I have identified what appears to be markings on the hull of the Sol Dreadnought." The only window flickered as the magicks in it activated and the visage of the planet racing past under them was replaced with slightly hazy image of hundred meter tall letters. The entire room fell silent as the gruesome image appeared and the Blessed Paladins simply locked up in position even their breathing seeming to have ceased.

"Is that?" The larger Prior gasped as he leaned on his Empyrean Staff for support.

"Ye…yes Lord. Scans confirm… its blood." The cultist swallowed heavily as the strange vessel continued to hang lifelessly in orbit.

The portly Prior frowned as he watched his older colleagues eyes lock onto the abnormal circle of runes arranged around a strange eight pointed star. As he watched the blood drawings seemed to swirl around each other while staying in the same place but what truly drew his eye was the star in the centre whose arms constantly seemed to expand outwards only for them to remain stationary. With a small application of his Will he broke free of the blasphemous trance.

"_Murder God_." He whispered somehow the unfamiliar symbols of the Great Enemy's language making perfect sense as he read them off.

Almost as soon as the words had passed his lips the image warped and distorted swirling into an incomprehensible pattern of grey, black and red. Vague shapes danced and writhed in the mess of colours. Humanoid figures meshed together, warped and twisted, in mockeries of the True Form. A noise, like a million overlapping screams of agony and ecstasy, whispered tauntingly from the transmitter. As quickly as the image had changed it snapped back but it was no longer the exterior of the otherworldly vessel. This time it was a man. If that description still applied to the atrocity that stood before them. Symbols, like those on the vessels hull, were carved into its forehead and all its hair was gone, with a bizarre four pointed symbol carved out of the things flesh to display the bone beneath. Its lips and eyelids were gone to reveal teeth filed to serrated points and eyes of purest darkness. The cheeks had been cut away and the wounds burned closed to leave the muscles and tendons exposed to the air.

An inhumanly long tongue stretched through the hole where its cheeks should have been to lick a trail of blood leaking from the stumps were its ears had been hacked away. "We have… such… wonderful things to show you." The thing rasped. The only indication that it was examining was them the subtle twitching of the skin around its soulless black eyes.

"What evil is THIS?" The larger Prior hissed, clutching his Empyrean Staff close to his chest. His terrified eyes locked to the grotesquely mutilated and desecrated image before him.

"These are the Words of the Beast." The thing hissed almost as an answer; its tongue again flickering out to trace along lipless gums. "He is the heart that beats in the darkness. He is the blood that shall never cease." The Prior looked to his older associate for guidance but had to fight back bile as the transfixed Prior mouthed the blasphemous words in time with the monstrosity on the screen. "He is the sin and the temptations of Men. He is the ferocity and the rage and the agony. And He has woken." The thing finished, sweeping the Celestial Heart of _Apocalypse Rising_ with its inhuman gaze once again. "Darkness will fall." The screen blinked to blackness and faded back to its natural state as the magicks within it simply failed.

The elder Prior twitched uncontrollably in his chair and beads of sweat began to run down his brow as if he were in the grips of a high fever. "And the Beast and His armies shall rise from the Pit to make war against the Gods." He whispered, bony fingers wrapping round the chair's arms until his already pale knuckles turned purest white.

"The children are here to play!" The first of those otherworldly voices screamed in a sing-song manner right into the deepest part of his soul just before blessed unconsciousness finally claimed him.

The world seemed to twist. He wasn't sure if his breakfast was going up or down or sideways. The feeling resolved itself into a small point in the centre of the room. Vaguely he worried that these monstrosities were about to cast the Path of Wrath. But before it exploded outwards, destroying the entirety of _Apocalypse Rising_, it resolved into a Union sized blob which vaporised two screaming cultists.

"MAIM! KILL! BURN!"

The Prior stumbled as if physically struck by the war cry and the unconscious one began to froth at the mouth but none of the Order cultists or Blessed Paladins seemed so drastically affected. The man-thing at the front of the group leapt screeching at the closest Blessed Paladin, its huge obsidian black claws reared back to take the Unit's head off. Unit 010 reached forward and snatched the leaping thing from the air. It regarded the thrashing thing with interest tasting the power that flowed from the things broken mind. It was most entrancing.

A quick flash through the Empyrean let it know that the other invaders and Order scum were killing each other with an impressive brutality. Bullets and Las were thick in the air as the Order crewmen were trying desperately to gun down the invaders but the disfigured and screaming things just eagerly threw themselves into the storm of death. And when they reached their targets they tore them apart in horrendous displays of pure rage and power. Using knives, fists, claws, outlandish mutated appendages and even their teeth to kill.

A stray Las bolt clipped the Sigil of Origin above the main screen. A snarl of fury twisted the Blessed Paladin's lips and it snapped the neck of the thing in its hands with ease. The cultists at fault for such a desecration burst into flames a moment latter as the other Blessed Paladins in the room finally waded into the fight. In an instant Empyrean Blades were drawn and flashing amongst the melee that had erupted in the middle of the Celestial Heart. The berserker things howled and screamed their warcries, throwing themselves even more eagerly at the Blessed Paladins even as they were hacked apart. It was over quickly, leaving just under thirty hacked, charred and shredded bodies littering the rooms and a huge pool of blood and viscera covering almost the entire floor.

"Repel the borders!" The wheezing command drew the attention of all the Blessed Paladins. The larger Prior was leaning heavily on his Empyrean Staff his grey robs splattered with blood.

A twitching on the floor caused the Blessed Paladins to whirl away from the Prior. Blood flowed in towards the pile of corpses, all the blood in the room began to slither towards the eviscerated bodies. Several of the things that the Order cultists had cut down began to writhe and howl as the holes and laceration inflicted upon them began to close up. The Blessed Paladins were upon them in an instant. Forgoing Blade and Bolter instead they tore the reviving things apart with their claws wreathed in the destructive power of the Empyrean.

"Go!" The Prior roared, slamming his Empyrean Staff into the ground, flames racing away in all directions to consume the dead and dying.

The twitching corpses stilled as the conjured flames ate away at the bodies in smokeless funeral pyres. The Blessed Paladins almost flew from the room, a silent call to war flashing between them. But they still couldn't penetrate the shroud preventing them from contacting most of their forces on the planet below.

Screams echoed through the Ascendancy's Cruiser, assaulting the Faithful from all directions as their ship was flooded with nightmarish monsters. Unsure of the where to go the few Blessed Paladins formed a defensive line in front of the Celestial Heart defaulting to one of their most basic missions. Protect the Priors.

The horde that came rushing down the dull grey corridors of the Elucidator slammed into the thin line of Blessed Paladins with an audible crunch as several of their own were crushed against the Units' Vestments. Empyrean Blades flashed and gouts of Will spawned fire and lightning tore into their foes but step by step the Blessed Paladins were forced further and further back into the Celestial Heart. Clambering over their own dead and screaming in mad ecstasy the mysterious force known as the Asolars tore at the Ascendancy's best, finally pulling one of the white behemoths down into their seething mass and tearing the floundering Blessed Paladin to pieces.

With a mighty roar one of the Blessed Paladins threw itself into the horde, the Flames of the Ori flickering around its form. With a howl one part pain one part joy the Blessed Paladin gave itself to the Ori. Unit 074 exploded in a wave of pure white flame sweeping away the monstrosities that had boarded the ship and washing away the smothering blanket that had severed their link with the ground forces.

Almost immediately a wall of flames erupted at the front of the Celestial Heart and when it cleared a full half of the Company stood weapons drawn and the flickering lights of the Empyrean dancing along their bodies. All over the ship Unions of Blessed Paladins appeared, tearing into the Asolars in a near frenzied state.

"I sensed something was wrong." The Battle Prior muttered, his extra-long blade a mere blur in the air as he carved a path through the monstrosities that tried to assault him. Quickly the Blessed Paladins surged forward, linking up with their besieged brethren and driving the borders away from the downed Priors.

"My Lord! HELP US! They have taken most of the ship!" The cultist seemed close to the edge of hysteria. Not that the Battleprior could blame him; they were almost knee deep in corpses and if the number of lights fading to nothing in the Empyrean was any indication so was the rest of the ship.

"Take them to their quarters." He ordered ignoring the babbling man in favour of joining the battle raging at the entranceway. Six Blessed Paladins moved to take hold of the unconscious Priors. The honour guard took the four pieces of the Holy Doorway from their backs and slammed them together. Instantly the large metal rings jumped up from the device and swallowed the group in a flash of light.

The Battleprior leapt and twirled through the air, boosting his height with his Will, the Empyrean Blade in his hand invisible to the Human eye. The blade, humming with the power of the Warp, exploded in a stream of flames that whipped through the invaders blasting them apart in showers of gore. With a momentary respite from the maniacal close ranged attacks the Blessed Paladins instantly levelled their Empyrean Bolters at the things that were scrambling over their dead to get in close. The Will charged rounds blasted the abominations apart, mutating flesh and cloth into horrible parodies as the unreal energies of the Empyrean tore them apart. But still the things howled in pleasure even more ruthless and stubborn than before; horribly mutilated corpses dragged themselves forward clawing at the feet of their killers.

Then suddenly a huge hulking ball of muscle appeared in the doorway. Towering over even the Blessed Paladins the things unnaturally large biceps bulged until they looked like they would burst and the thing swung down at the white armoured figures. The Blessed Paladins scattered like grass in the wind thrown away from the entranceway or slammed into and through walls with a single blow. The hulking thing lumbered forward and grabbed a hold of the closest living thing. The screaming Order cultist managed to unloaded his entire Lasgun into the things face, the red beams bouncing off the monstrosities skin, before it's jaw unhinged to a grotesque length and it bit the man's head clean off his shoulders, taking extra care to drink the blood streaming form the stump.

With a silent cry of rage the Blessed Paladins charged the thing, Empyrean Blades bouncing off skin that suddenly turned bronze and scaly whenever a blade neared it. It took the thing a moment to finish its meal before it clubbed several of the Blessed Paladins away with the corpse. It blinked stupidly when all its white armoured foes jumped away. Yellow eyes traced towards the Battleprior who held a duet of active Fulgoras in his hand. In a flash of flames the twin lightning grenades were teleported into the things stomach. The creature wobbled for a second before it tensed up, blood and foam leaking from its mouth, and fell backwards crushing several of its own.

"Cleanse the ship! Do not let this desecration last any longer!" The Battleprior roared, decapitating the first of the intruders to climb over the pile of corpses in the doorway. The Blessed Paladins surged from the room cutting a swath through the drastically thinned horde. Almost instantly the numbers getting into the Celestial Heart slowed to a trickle.

"My Lord!" A cultist half-shouted half-moaned. The Battleprior turned towards the man splitting an enemy in half with the same moment. "The ene… enemy ship. It's firing on the planet!" Indeed streaks of white light, balls of blue energy, beams of incandescent destruction and the occasional flicker of putrid green streaked down from the massive vessel. The grainy image shifted slightly to show waves after waves of small dark blots falling into the planet's atmosphere. It didn't take much to realise they were landing craft.

"Ori have mercy upon them." The Battleprior whispered. In the back of his mind he could feel the terrified screams and insane dread leaking from the planet into the Empyrean. It was almost pliable. "Make all haste to leave this System!" He bellowed, carving the last of the things from shoulder to groin in a single motion.

"Exterminate." The word hissed through the Empyrean and he could feel the palpable rage and fury of the Blessed Paladins. He noted with some alarm that some of those currents were straying from their path to the Ori and vanishing into the slowly swirling darkness of this galaxy's Empyrean. He pushed the though aside as he pinned the last of the things he could see to a wall and melted most of its head off with a blast of Will.

The fighting was almost over by now, he could feel the Blessed Paladins cornering the last of the borders now, but most of the Order crew were dead or injured and a few of the Blessed Paladins had fallen to cursed weapons or sheer numbers. On the bright side their mission to the planet had been a success. He slumped into the central chair ignoring the blood hardening on his face and his Vestments and the floor and the walls and the machines in the Celestial Heart. So much blood. Instead he chose to stare at the rapidly disappearing image of the ship bombarding the Great Enemy's world. He continued to stare and ponder long after the image had been reduced to the swirling colours of hyperspace.

The Prior stumbled backwards as he held the thing at arm's length with his Empyream Staff. The still unconscious Prior was slumped against a wall the corpse of a Blessed Paladin splayed over him. The other Units lay on the ground amongst the ambushers they had slaughtered; the strange magicks in the swords the enemies had used had cut through their armour with ease allowing many of them to be slain. He tripped over a corpse and fell hard on his back the things still on top of him grinding her mutilated body into his. Her nails had dug deep rivets into his arm, which he could not heal, and the blessed wood of his Staff was beginning to falter under her flailing weight. As suddenly as she had ambushed him the figure was ripped from his Empyream Staff and held high by the mighty white form of a Blessed Paladin.

The woman giggled as she clawed uselessly at the Blessed Paladin that held her off the ground with one hand. The other huge clawed hand swung round and grabbed a hold of her flailing arms. Insane and blood shot eyes locked with inhuman and detached; the woman hissed in annoyance before fangs sprang from the roof of her mouth. With an unnaturally long stretch of her neck she bit down on the Blessed Paladin's arm. The Unit growled in annoyance before it snapped both her arms with a simple twist letting the mangled limbs slip from its hands. It reared its fist back, flames licking around its knuckles, as it prepared to finish off the abomination.

"Are you scared yet?" She purred at the Prior before the Blessed Paladin tore her heart from her chest.

He lay in his chambers his mind still lost in turmoil and darkness; beside him lay his Empyrean Staff, its cracks even more prominent in the candle light. Both of his comrade Priors had briefly stopped by. The Prior had offered words of encouragement and faith before leaving him to the mercies of the Ori. The Battleprior, like the adolescent boy he truly was, had uncomfortably muttered his hope that he would recover before leaving to command his forces. Alone in the gloom of his chamber the shadows once again began to dance.

The second of the voices from the Pit hissed; its speech still dripping venom and rage. "God will take your eyes, to blind you from that which is hideous."

"God will take your ears, to deafen you to the incessant screaming." The first voice warbled gently wrapping the Priors faltering soul in a smothering cocoon severing all sensation but the pounding pain in his skull.

"God will take your flesh, to save you from that which is perilous." The third voice whispered seductively plucking at his heartstrings before laughing sensually.

It rumbled like thunder on a distant horizon so powerful an all-encompassing that he was forced almost to scream in pain by the very weight of its gaze. Everything faded into a grey and white blur as his was forced away from reality by this godly presence. The Prior looked up at the face of a god and he knew perfect peace for the first time in his life. "I will take your soul, to protect your mortal heart from breaking." The thing offered with a voice like blades and honey; pulling the Prior into its inescapable darkness.

And the Prior turned from the, now, infinitely distant light of the Ori and surrendered himself utterly into that eternal blackness.

* * *

"Sir, why are you so twitchy?" Hailey asked shuffling a little closer to the young clone as they bounced along a shattered road towards the Mechanicus's headquarters on the Tsunchien and the Beam Constructor within.

O'Neill shrugged, shifting his P-90 slightly to track along the building tops. "Don't know. Just feel a little off." He sighed as they passed yet another burnt our building with slogans from both sides scrawled across the ruins. Promises of violence and retribution were traded across the charred box of concrete.

Telford had lumped them with Fourth Division. And how O'Neill hated it. The entire Division was comprised of the 're-educated' survivors of Infinite Kingdom's military and McKay's little stroll through Africa. It wasn't that they weren't good soldiers it was just they held a special place in their hearts for hating the Americans that had unleashed the Left Hand of the Emperor on them. It didn't help that Second Division, comprising of a collection of nationalities from the People's Republic of Asian, who were travelling along a parallel course to Fourth Division kept egging them on. That and the sight of the burnt out houses and few murdered families they had come across had sent them into some kind of blind rage.

The group of Chimeras O'Neill and Hailey had managed to grab a lift from seemed to be about Battalion sized and the forty or so APCs were finding it difficult to get off the main highway. Worse still they were increasingly being forced into single file much to O'Neill's chagrin.

A chime in his ear alerted him to an incoming transmission. "**This is Telford. Sitrep on Mechanicus HQ**." The Lieutenant General's Gothic had the natural clipped brogue that always seemed to occur when a native English speaker attempted the language.

"**O'Neill here, Fourth Division is on route. We've encountered no resistance and none of the locals seem willing to be coming out to talk**." O'Neill answered, taking the data slate Hailey offered him and examining the map on it.

"**Be careful. The General has just issued orders that the Threat Level is now Severe. Cohort I and II have begun sweeps of the capital. They've already found a few IEDs and plasma mines. We've**..." O'Neill lost the rest of Telford's statement when one of the leading Chimeras vanished in a burst of light.

"What the frak was that!" O'Neill roared as the spots dancing in his vision began to clear.

"I don't know sir!" Hailey shouted, rubbing fruitlessly at her eyes all around them the hatches began popping open as the curious Terrans inside came out to investigate.

One Chimera was gone, its roof just a ragged hole billowing smoke, the one next to it was covered in holes and the tracks facing the blast had been torn apart. The rear hatch descended with a clang and several bodies stumbled out, many of them sporting jagged gashes where the shrapnel had torn through them. A woman pulled herself free of the tangle, one arm hanging limply, a shard of metal jammed in her shoulder.

The woman stumbled slightly as she dragged herself to her feet and began to probe at the shard of Plasteel buried in her shoulder. A black blob leapt up from the ground to about waist height and before Hailey knew what was happening O'Neill had tackled her off the Chimera. What followed was a muted thump that seemed to catch her in the chest and a thousand tinkling reverberations as tiny shards of iron lashed against the Chimeras' armour. Peaking over O'Neill's shoulder she could see the ragged remains of several Legionnaires that had been caught by the shrapnel hanging slump over turrets and hatches.

"**Everyone get down**!" O'Neill bellowed barely audible above the ringing in her ears jumping off Hailey and clambering into the Chimera they had been riding on.

The Tacluchnatagamuntoron flew up out of the hole in the road and swivelled around several times. Red blasts of plasma leapt from its similarly coloured crystal front and impacted against the still smouldering bodies of the dead Legionnaires with the dull smack of low powered plasma on flesh. Whirling round the Goa'uld weapon began firing indiscriminately at the heat signatures of the Chimeras. Most of the turrets were already trying to track the madly bobbing Tac and several braver Legionnaires were taking pot shots at it.

Hailey ducked as a stray blast almost took her head off she returned fire at the object as it danced around the blue beams of Las fire coming from the many Multi-Lasers that were trying to take it down. Just as a hypersonic Railrifle round smashed into the red crystal dropping the Tac, the rearmost Chimera was struck in the side by a krak missile. The APC's fuel tank exploded flipping the vehicle up onto its side; with a groan the Chimera rolled onto its back flames billowing through the ragged hole in its underbelly.

"**CONTACT**!" Someone screamed over the Vox before the building the missile had streaked from exploded as Bolter rounds, Railrifle slugs and Las blasts vaporised the entire façade and blew most of the top floor to atoms.

Hailey scrambled to her feet, throwing a few bursts of Railrifle fire at the rooftops. Her Semi-Powered Armour activated as she slammed against the side of the Chimera her Railrifle held firmly in her hands. She was thrown from her feet as another krak missile slammed into the APC next to her blowing the machine's treads off. She was thankful when the helmet finally snapped closed shielding her form the stench of burning Human flesh.

"**Watch your fire! Use the Terrorsight**!" The words overlapped in her ear as the comm-bead picked up several different Officers relaying basically the same order. Unfortunately the Battalion had started firing on anything that appeared on their Auspexes.

Her HUD flashed warning signals upwards as it threw reticule after reticule at something in the sky. She had barley been able to resolve the objects into four black blurs before a sharp jerk from behind pulled her inside the Chimera she had been resting against.

"Don't look at it!" O'Neill roared before slamming his armoured fist down on the APC's Vox caster as it spat static back at him.

She had just turned to ask him what the hell he was on about when there was a heavy and powerful thud near them. She felt the blast wave even inside her armour and her HUD blacked out for a moment as it was assaulted by the plasma detonation. A Chimera had been hit perfectly and the APC was little more than a pile of slag while the surrounding vehicles all sported hull breaches and severe plasma burns. The second shell came down on top of a building slightly in front of the convoy. The shell exploded in a shower of blue flames that dripped down the sides of the building like liquid, reducing everything they touched to an inferno. The third landed in the rear and exploded in a shower of Trinium needles the super hard metal tearing through Unpowered Armour and shredding any exposed machinery on the Chimera's. The fourth was another plasma bomb and reduced another Chimera and the Squads around it to bubbling puddles of slag in a flash. The Legionnaires in the street scattered into the buildings as the full damage of the mortar attack settled in.

O'Neill hissed at the Vox giving it another slap before the machine finally seemed to overcome whatever had been jamming it. "**Opcon, TAC with WP at coordinates fourteen delta echo whisky two one one six one four niner eight. Black light illumination on free strike zone. Confirm**." He pulled out a data slate and transmitted a plot of their location and rough situation at the same time.

There was a moment's pause as the request flashed up the chain of command before the Vox operator on the _Jealous Cherubim_ responded. "**Negative. Opcon cannot authorise a chem-strike on a civilian zone**."

"**Listen you mikta! Everything's gone curvy down here and we need support now**!" O'Neill shouted as another plasma mortar landed amongst the Chimeras. This time he flexed a little of his rank's command muscle and transmitted his Representative codes along with the coordinates. He hated pulling rank like the Old Man but desperate times call for desperate measures.

There was another longer pause before the Vox operator returned sounding slightly chastised. "**Confirmed. Directing CAP Squadron 3 to your coordinates**. **ETA one standard minute**."

"Hailey get a visual on those mortars then pop darkLas!" O'Neill gestured wildly out of the Chimera in the general direction of where the mortars were firing from. He watched her scramble out of the vehicle before returning to the Vox and trying to get a report on how the rest of the Division was holding up.

She commandeered the first Platoon that she found. Thirty Voxes linked into her own almost instantly and she watched as their IFF's on her HUD changed shape. A short data burst later brought the Lieutenant up to speed and Hailey left the middle aged woman to brief the Legionnaires.

"**By Fireteams**!" The Lieutenant shouted before signalling for the first group into an alley.

They quickly gained access into one of the hab-blocks that was between the source of the mortars and the convoy. The building had been hit moderately hard by rioting with most of the ground floor torn up and slogans of defiance scrawled across the walls. Using the stairs they made it to the fourth floor before a collapse forced them into the main part of the building.

Hailey quickly followed the Private through the newly smashed door, sweeping the corridor for targets. A startled squawk alerted her to the small man in a brown cloak kneeling in front of the windows a pair of binoculars and a Vox falling from his suddenly limp hands. There was a moment when the three of them just stared at each other before the man was gone in a swirl of tattered brown cloth.

"**Scout! I've got him**!" The Private bolted after the fleeing insurgent fumbling at his side trying to draw his Zat.

"**Stop**!" Hailey screamed but she was too late the Private rounded a corner and instantly he was thrown back by an explosion. The entire corridor collapsed in on itself burying the man under several tons of concrete and Plasteel.

"**Let's find another way around**." One of the Sergeants grumbled, making sure to avoid looking at the pair of legs jutting out of the collapse.

Their alternate route took them to the opposite side of the hab-block. This side of the building looked over a road that had clearly seen a lot of action. Burnt out civilian vehicles littered the ground and almost all the buildings had holes blasted into them. Someone had cleared the bodies away but it was clear that a lot of people had been wounded or killed judging from the amount of damage done to the hab-blocks.

Several flights of stairs led them to a floor that was completely exposed to the outside world. All that remained were a few crumbling walls and Plasteel pillars that had had all their concrete sheered away by whatever hit the building.

Advancing slowly through the exposed terrain the inexperienced Legionnaires were incredibly twitchy. There were two instances when Privates fired upon shadows and a rat was blasted into a small cloud of red mist before the Sergeants managed to get them under control.

A flicker of motion on their Auspexes brought all their Railrifles to point at a pile of corpses slumped in a small crumbling room off to the side. The Lieutenant moved forward waving form her Platoon to stand down. Shifting aside the bodies of several women and an elderly man, all who had been killed with a low powered plasma weapon, she uncovered a cowering and blood soaked child. She made to move pick up the whimpering girl but was interrupted by the harsh voice of her Master Sergeant.

"**Leave her**." The Master Sergeant growled, sweeping the rooftops for any signs of movement. This position was for too exposed for his liking and the entire building could very well be rigged to blow. He would have swept his surroundings with his Terrorsights but the Lieutenant snapped back at him.

"**But she's just a child**!" The Lieutenant argued, her visor snapping back so she could glare at the Master Sergeant. "**Come on now we're not going to hurt you**." She cooed at the child gently coaxing her out of the crumbling room.

"**Energy spike**!" The Master Sergeant bellowed instinctively throwing himself backwards. The child screamed incoherently for an instantly before she and the Lieutenant were consumed in a miniature sun. As the blinding light from the plasma charge faded one of the Legionnaires at the front crumpled to the ground, his helmet a deformed mess from where a sniper round had penetrated it.

"**Sniper**!" Hailey growled just having managed to rise to her knees in time for the female Corporal next to her to have her head almost severed by another round.

Railrifle fire viciously tore into the wall around the snipers heat signature shredding the concrete with ease. The rebel popped up for another shot; confident that his disintegrating cover would protect him for the few seconds it took to end another Imperial. He was wrong.

Travelling somewhere in the double Mach figures the Railrifle shot that caved in his ribs and blasted out the other side sucked most of his internal organs out as well. Hailey smiled, even through the pain from where the final round had clipped her shoulder, as the heat signature crumbled to the ground and the long wedge shaped fan of viscera behind it rapidly began to cool.

They made it onto the roof top opposite the mortar's position just in time for another barrage to get fired over their heads back the way they came. Already several trails of thick black smoke reached far into the sky marking where their convoy was pinned down. The modified Laspistol was little more than a barrel with a button; it fired a beam of UV at a target which easily marked them out against the background radiation. Especially with all the lasers and plasma modern warfare threw around. Crouching to avoid being seen the Platoon inched forward until they were pressed against the small wall that marked the edge of the rooftop. Hailey aimed the darkLas squarely at the closest mortar and activated the small device.

The three I-301Bs, Prowlers, and their four I-301A, Marauder, escorts seemed like tiny black stains on the pristine blue sky but as she watched they began to grow incredibly fast. The mortar crews realised the impending danger as well but it was far too late. Two Marauders screamed past, almost low enough to make out detail on their delta shaped bodies, the attack craft peppered the rooftop fortification with Assault Cannonade fire, forcing the rebels to dive into cover or get shredded into a fine paste. Then, much higher, six orange specks detached from the larger black dots of the Prowlers and raced downwards leaving behind thin vapour trails. The missiles struck the rooftop almost at right angles detonating in a large cloud of fire and white smoke. Just as the smoke from the white phosphor began to blow away the last two Marauders fired their own missiles, the shaped charges blowing a massive hole in the roof allowing the angry yellow balls of fire and choking white mist to sink into the structure.

Just as the Squadron banked to return the way they had come a line of Railgun fire traced after the leading Marauder. The hypervelocity slugs tore of the triangular wing, sending the black craft plummeting towards the ground in a dead spin. The others scattered but not before a beam of white light leapt from the ground and struck a Prowler. The bomber was consumed in an explosion as more Lascannon and Railgun fire tried to catch the remaining I-301s. The crippled Squadron pulled up sharply, racing towards the upper atmosphere and relative safety. The Platoon was roused from their dumbfounded gawking when screams of pain reached them from the mortar position.

Several of the rebels that hadn't died in the missile strikes were rolling on the ground screaming as they clawed at white lights burrowing into their skin. All of them quickly started to gag on the smoke that lingered on the roof. Hailey raised her Railrifle to kill them before they died agonizingly from the horrendous burns that covered their bodied but the large hand of the Platoon's Master Sergeant grabbed the rifle's long barrel.

The polarised Armaplas of the Master Sergeant's helmet snapped back revealing his dark scowling face. "**Let them burn**." He growled before shoving her Railrifle down and motioning for what remained of the Platoon to fall back to the convoy.

* * *

The green bolt hit the hostile square in the chest. The Gauss effect made short work of whatever armour stood in its way; with its shell broken the green flames splashed across the target area eating their way down to the man's ribs and flaying strips off the organs below. The rebel crumpled to the floor a head sized hole in the middle of his chest, his Lasgun falling uselessly from his hand.

The other two rebel scum fired wildly at the direction the Gauss pulse had come from. Red beams flashed through the air blasting pock marks into the Plasteel walls. Several moments flew past until the undisciplined fire eventually drained the half charged power packs. Greer and Nek'sed sprang from their positions carefully taking aim with their much slower firing Disruptors. The two rebels didn't have time to finish reloading.

Greer had been right in his assessment. Most of the station was filled with small groups of huddled civilians sealed in compartments spread across the entire station. From what one of the rebels had been 'persuaded' to divulge they were supposed to be a bargaining tool; but one of the incompetent fools had shot up the life support systems removing their ability to vent any part of the Halo beyond the outer sections.

Curtis and his Team had drawn most of the rebels away from the main command node by attacking the stations transporter core. The Fireteam of H.I.M. were easily slaughtering their way through the lightly armed traitors that attacked them and pretty soon they might even take their target. Sincha had taken Green Team to round up all the civilians and move them to somewhere nice and heavily armoured. And preferably far, far away from the fighting.

Greer's head swivelled side to side as he swept the surrounding area with his still active Terrorsight. He picked out the next group of rebels between them and their target. "Atrox, if you would." He gestured at the wall.

The Lost Generation's blank face plate turned to regard Greer and then the wall. With a cheerful grunt he slammed a Melta-bomb onto the wall. Almost instantly the Plasteel wall vanished in a brilliant flash of light and heat. Greer blinked to clear his eyes of the spots dancing in them. He forgot just how much E.M. those things put out sometimes. Leaa was through the new hole before he could even speak and the female Jaffa was amongst the horrified rebels just as he sighed in resignation. The fools were dead before they could really understand what was going on neat Vibroknife marks along their necks the only sign of injury.

"Alright, we cut through here." Greer pointed at a section of wall that Atrox immediately lumbered towards. "Then we can slip through this decompressed area and enter through this maintenance airlock." They were through an instant later.

The area exposed to the void had actually been hit hard by the Drone barrages of the _Moon Reader_ and that made traversing it even easier. They cleared several decks worth of climbing in a few minutes and reached the maintenance airlock far quicker than Greer had anticipated. The airlock cycled open on the first attempt and, only then were, they greeted with the reason it had all been going so well.

Kneeling on the ground in the middle of the large airlock was a man. Before him was the body of a young woman with a look of terror frozen on her face and his arm was elbow deep in her chest cavity. The most terrifying thing was that the kneeling man was wearing nothing but a pair of tattered fatigues and the many, many scars that riddled his skin. Greer and team piled into the airlock, cycling it closed behind them as they spread out into a firing line. Greer took a step forward but froze when a horrible feeling settled in the pit of his stomach.

The man moved with an inhuman grace; he lifted the heart from the body blood flying away in little scarlet droplets. "Darkness will fall." He hissed and somehow they heard him even through the vacuum. Suddenly the heart in his hands started beating again. And then the world shifted. The blood and organ exploded into a crimson mass that shot upwards forming the vague outline of a pole. A horrible screeching noise, like a million iron nails on a chalkboard, seemed to echo from the corners of their minds. Then an instant later the liquid rippled and changed into a perfectly forged blade of black iron. The serrated edge glinted in the emergency lighting but what really drew in the eyes were the string of angry red runes glowing along the fuller.

"Fire!" Greer roared but the man had already moved. Three green blasts of Gauss slammed into the desecrated body flaying it away to nothing. The unknown man was already upon Atrox by the time the other had turned to follow him.

The Lost Generation tried to block the overhead swing with his Railgun but the black and red blade passed through the weapon like it wasn't even there. Its tip scored a deep gouge into Atrox's Semi-Powered Armour. The man leapt back, dodging Leaa's lunge and slapping her away almost disinterested in her attack. The female Jaffe went flying, slamming into the hull with a thud that resonated through the floor. Greer back-pedalled towards the entranceway, his hand slamming on the airlock controls, with a thud the large air vents opened and air began to trickle into the room.

With a roar Nek'sed fired his Disrupter only for the man to flip over the trio of green bolts and, using the Hellblade as a pivot, kick the Human in the chest. Nek'sed flew the entire length of the airlock before slamming into a barely recovered Leaa sending them both to the floor.

Atrox charged the man while he was still in the air but the unknown swordsman used his blade to change direction. Unfortunately for him he brought himself right into the path of Greer's Disruptor bolts. One of the green blasts took off a leg and the other flayed away most of the man's back revealing the bones and muscles of his ribcage.

Landing on his one remaining leg the man spun, still unnaturally graceful, and cut a deep gash into Atrox's back. The huge man crumpled to the ground with a pain filled grunt. Leaa charged the man's back but before she could drive her blade into his skull he whirled around and caught her by the throat.

"No!" Greer and Nek'sed shouted as the man reared back his black iron sword. Both of their Disruptor bolts hit the man in the torso practically severing him in two but he was not to be denied so easily. Falling he drove the Hellblade into Leaa's stomach, dragging her down with him.

The man grinned even as the Gauss continued to eat at his leg and the thin sliver of torso that remained. "He will awaken." He grinned, revealing blood stained serrated teeth, as he drove the Hellblade even further into Leaa's gut.

"Whatever." Greer snorted before he blasted the man's face into vapour. "Nek'sed! Check on Atrox." He ordered turning to see too Leaa. The woman shoved him away sending him stumbling backwards as she slowly brought both hands to rest on the grip of the Hellblade.

"And you shall worship Him." She pulled the Hellblade from her stomach, the runes glowing an even deeper red than before. The sword seemed to vibrate and they heard that horrible screeching noise in their minds again. "Sir please." Leaa begged slowly climbing to her feet.

"It's been good knowing you, Leaa." Greer replied wistfully, nodding to Nek'sed as he did so. The first Disruptor bolt flayed apart the hand holding the Hellblade, the second opened her chest up to the vacuum, the third destroyed most of her torso and the third vaporised her head.

"Sir! We're in the armoury!" It was Xenophon's over cheerful voice and he wasn't in the mood for that.

"What?" Greer snapped back a little more harshly than he intended. There was no answer instead a picture flashed up on his HUD. "Well shit." He muttered.

The entire armoury had been emptied; right down to the last Railrifle round.

* * *

"They have what now?" O'Neill groaned. The Chimera shuddered as another barrage of ordnance fell on the Mechanicus building. Whoever decided that making the fraking things so hard to storm was a real idiot. Honestly, what use was a thirty meter high Adamantium plated wall on a Nascent World?

"Well if the state of the Halo station is any indication the rebels took most of the garrison's supplies intact. In fact we believe that they have been preparing for this for some time. It's no surprise that the rebels stole a Battletank or two… or five." Hailey responded, flinching slightly when the rebel Pulse Cannon blast shattered the ruins they were hiding behind.

"I'm so going to stab who ever set this place up." O'Neill growled glaring balefully at the holo-tank he was hunched over. They had the Minotaur Siege Tanks to punch through the wall but the place was too cluttered to allow them to get a clean shot at anything more than point blank. Which would leave the relatively lightly armoured Minotaurs at the mercy of the Railgun and Lascannon emplacements.

"To be fair, sir, they were mostly Lost Generation and when the Governess and most of the upper command was taken out they just hunkered down and waited for us to arrive. Just easy pickings for the rebels." Hailey shrugged helplessly, ignoring the angry buzzing that preceded a Heavy Railgun firing.

Too close to civilians to launch orbitals, too urbanised for Battletank formations, too important that they capture the leaders to simply shell into oblivion, too much enemy cross fire to charge with infantry, too dangerous to beam in or out, too much A.A. for orbital insertion or airstrike. They had the place all sealed up; nice and tight. Any protraction of the hostilities would be seen as a sign of weakness and who knows how many other dissident factions would jump at the chance to play dictator and warlord. Not to mention the Covenant and whatever force was laying waste to entire worlds on a whim. The entire situation was almost daring them to do something stupid.

"Frag this." O'Neill muttered as another barrage slammed against the Adamantium walls with little effect. "**General, this is Representative O'Neill. We're not breaching this place in a hurry. Request permission to send in the Judges**."

"**Permission granted. The Itinerant Tactical Battlesuits are released into your command. Representative, Cohorts I through V have secured most of the planetary capital, secondary and tertiary continents along with the orbitals. The X and elements of the VI have finally begun 'Sifting' through the prisoners and apprehending all collaborators. All intel points towards the last major insurgent stronghold being the Mechanicus building. The VIII and VII are on route but you have to take that facility before the insurgents, more importantly their leaders, commit suicide. Raza out**." O'Neill sighed as the General cut the Vox link. He could smell a massacre in the works; he could already hear the headlines, proclaiming him and the Legion heartless murderers. They would just have to tread lightly them.

"Hailey, Vox whoever is commanding those Batteries from the VI and have them start laying down whatever they can from the Jormungands. Tell them to suppress those emplacements on the east side and mass two Divisions of our Chimeras there as well." O'Neill pointed to the opposite wall on the Hololith and gestured at the motorised Cohort's Chimeras spread around the massive complex.

"Yes sir." Hailey replied quickly. There was a moment's pause before the Imperial blips began to move. O'Neill nodded to himself as the battle plan shifted. Stepping outside he awaited the arrival of the Judges.

The five Itinerant Tactical Battlesuits were heard before they were seen. The active cloak similar to that found on a Tel'tak or Puddle Jumper deactivated with its characteristic shimmer. As always O'Neill found their blockish appearance reassuring; he never fancied the over elegance of the Zerfàrims' Battlesuits and despite the beating it had taken the Furling's own powered exoskeleton was a little too ornate for proper combat. Like the Semi-Powered Armour the suits relied totally on Auspexes to see letting them reinforce the armour around the pilot without having to leave a gap for them to see. The Battlesuit was more or less comparable to a Dreadnought. The torso was basically the same shape only slimmer having no need to include the massive Promethium burning engine or the life support systems. Its arms hung at its side slightly too long and with one too many joints to be considered humanoid, unlike other exoskeleton armour they lacked any form of digits. Bulky headless shoulders had large weapons fixed onto them and hiding at the back was a small but powerful antigravity engine. Unlike a Dreadnought the legs were jointed, heavily armoured and ended in a boot shaped foot. As the only Squad of Judges attached to the entire 33rd Terran Legion they had been outfitted to adapt to any situation.

The leading two were outfitted with shoulder mounted Assault Cannons and arm mounted Heavy Flamers. Behind them another two were equipped with arm mounted Multi-Lasers and Plasma Accelerators. The final Judge had two Railguns on its shoulders attached to large crates of ammunition on its back.

It brought back uncomfortable memories as he watched that arc of green lightning streak across the sky. His hand tightened on the P-90 instinctively when the thunderous crack of the particle beam reached him, how he hated that noise. The top of the wall shuddered as the explosion rocked it to the very foundations. A second and third Particle Whip followed quickly after blasting hefty chunks out of the fortification. Green fire swept through the impact zones flinging chunks of partially melted and disintegrated heavy weapons into the air accompanied by the occasional piece of Human.

"Move out!" O'Neill shouted into his comm-bead and the five Judges leapt past him a moment latter.

Rubble shattered under the heavy boots as the Judges shot forward jumping between ruins keeping as much of their profile hidden as possible. Already a few Las blasts were fired at the Battlesuits. Railguns quickly opened fire the moment the Battlesuits entered their optimum range shredding the ruins and the ground. The Battlesuits heedless to the shrapnel like pieces of Plasteel and Railgun slug flying around waited for the perfect moment to rush the defences. The moment the Pulse Cannon fired blasting a huge hole in a hab-block several streets away the Judges surged forward using their antigravity engines to take great bounding steps that covered the large open killzone almost in the blink of an eye. The five dodged erratically as Railgun fire tried to shepherd them together and Lascannons took pot shots. Moving with no discernible pattern their evasive formation born of long and diligent practice the flittering Battlesuits soon got into the shadow of the wall and relatively safety.

With a high pitched whine reminiscent of a Death Glider the Battlesuits went shooting upwards. The first two landed with their twin Assault Cannons churning through everything in sight; jets of nearly invisible flames leapt from their Heavy Flamers the Naquadah-Promethium mixture rolling across the Plasteel walkway and seeping into the stairwells and pillboxes set into the wall. The second two landed a moment latter amongst a sea of flames their Multi-Lasers sending shafts of blue light tearing through the weapon emplacements while their Plasma Accelerators launched miniature suns into the Mechanicus building blasting holes in the façade and scattering any insurgents in the open. The final Judge landed with a firing solution already pre-programmed. Feeding all the Battlesuits energy into the Railguns to increase their power it took aim at the closest looted Battletank, a Maelstrom, and fired. The Mk III anti-armour rounds slammed into the side of the Battletank lifting it from its tracks blowing its turret off before the Melta-bombs inside the twin Railgun slugs detonated vaporising almost the entire vehicle instantly.

A wave of Basilisk shells came soaring over the wall and exploded in an air burst showering the entire area with shrapnel. With the insurgents in disarray either rushing to defend against the obvious attack from the east, hiding form the rain of shrapnel or simply trying to survive the hailstorm of Imperial weaponry the Judges leapt form the wall moments before the first ball of blue energy slammed home.

The Pulse Cannons hissed as it dumped the extra heat and with a mighty clap its neighbour launched another blast at the wall blasting the already dented Adamantium clean through. The third Siege Tank fired at the hole shearing a huge chunk of foundation away. With a groan, that was more felt than heard, the west wall began a slow motion collapse. To speed the process the Windraker Battletank opened fire, its Gauss Pulse Cannon sending slashes of green light into the crumbling fortification. With more and more of its support flayed away the wall began to disintegrate and finally collapsed into a heap of rubble and dust. Just in time for the Pulse Cannons to fire again. The trio of blue plasma pulses slammed into the unarmoured inward face of the east wall shattering the Plasteel and concrete.

The armoured wall sagged inwards, the weight of the fortifications and the gun emplacements warping the entire structure. A final volley of high explosive Basilisk rounds followed by Particle Whips struck the weakened wall, blasting it into a pile of rumble that crushed one of the rebels remaining Battletanks.

"**Advance by Battalions! Flank them before they retreat to the Mech building and counterattack**!" Telfords voice snapped through the Vox as he took command of the operation.

The first Battalion's Chimeras raced forward. They were met with sporadic and inaccurate fire from the few remaining heavy weapons. A few were lost either to damage or outright destruction before they raced into the Mechanicus complex. Multi-Lasers flashed as they scythed down the fleeing and disorientated rebels. The APCs quickly spun into a tight circle with their ramps facing inwards allowing the Legionnaires to pour out within the temporary armoured bunker.

Two of the three remaining looted Battletanks advanced towards the formation their main cannons tearing into the Imperials. The Longsword's Railgun blasted apart several Chimeras before it was silenced by concentrated Multi-Laser fire but its Heavy Bolters kept most of the Squads with heavy weapons pinned. The other Battletank, a Leman Russ, pounded away at the Legionnaires with its Battle Cannon. Before it could reap too high a toll it was destroyed utterly by the Railguns on the Judge as the Battlesuits re-joined the assault.

A second followed quickly by a third Battalion stormed the breach Legionnaires pouring out to secure what remained of the walls. The final looted Leman Russ was destroyed when a missile blasted off its tracks and it slammed into the Mechanicus building burying itself in rubble. Almost two thirds of the Cohort poured into the compound, unloading Platoon after Platoon of angry and vengeful Terrans.

With the last of the insurgents surrounded in the building the Legionnaires began throwing in Ra'keks; the sunburst grenades exploding in flashes of white light and noise that rendered all within their area of affect unconscious. After a moment's pause the first Squads stormed in with Zats drawn to meet corridors filled with unconscious insurgents piled on top of one another from where they had attempted to either flee or rush the Ra'keks. The advance from there was swift and deadly the superior weapons, training and armour of the I.G.L. vastly overpowering the insurgents now they had overcome their fortifications.

"Hailey grab a Platoon, we're going straight to the Beam Constructor." O'Neill ordered as the Squad he was following stopped to capture and bind another group of stunned rebels.

A quick Vox brought the Platoon she had joined earlier to her position. The Master Sergeant snapped off a quick salute to her and O'Neill before they fell in behind the two Representatives.

They advanced hard and fast, sweeping through hastily prepared blockades with ease. Now that the rebels had no carefully laid traps they were no match for the Imperials. Acting as a spearhead the two Representatives plunged deep into the Mechanicus compound, their mere presence sending the insurgents defences into disarray. Following behind them several Platoons rotated through capturing as many of the stunned or wounded rebels as possible. It wasn't long before they reached the central control room of the building and the Beam Constructor. Entrance way was heavily fortified with a pair of Heavy Bolters and a Lascannon. Inside were eight life signs that, if O'Neill was using his Terrorsights properly, were all attired in what appeared to be Unpowered Armour.

"Any sunbursts left?" O'Neill whispered, using the superior Auspexes of his Armour to keep an eye on the guards through a concrete wall.

"No sir." Hailey responded, her own visor sliding back into place so she could see as well.

"Alright. **Full automatic fire through this wall about here**." O'Neill waved his hand in a circle that overlapped the image of the still unaware rebels. "**Fire**!"

The Railrifles took a moment to tear through the concrete wall but that wasn't long enough for the insurgents to realise what was going on never mind bringing their larger and more powerful weapons to bear. The seven men were shredded by the hailstorm of small hyper sonic rounds before they could even get a shot off.

"**Zats only! We need prisoners**!" O'Neill roared as he charged forward, the snake shaped weapon leaping into its active mode in his hand.

The first Legionnaire to the door was quite literally cut in half by a blue Las beam and the second was thrown back by a Diripios round that liquefied his internal organs. O'Neill fired blindly, intentionally aiming high so his foes just ducked and none of them were hit. He winced as the headache that had been building for the last few moments blossomed into a full blown migraine. He would have to deactivate the Terrorsight now or risk damaging himself. Memorising the locations of his targets he deactivated the device the world returning to plain normal colours, clarity and depth. With a deep breath he once again fired blindly and this time was rewarded with a startled cry when he hit someone. Lunging forward he dove through the doorway Zat firing at the exposed faces, arms and legs of the insurgents. Two fell their bodies wracked by blue energy. However the Zat blast simply rolled off the others the Unpowered Armour shrugging off the hits.

Landing on his stomach he rolled to the side to avoid the Lasgun being aimed at his head and grinned when his assailant collapsed in a twitching mess. Having provided an adequate distraction the rest of the Platoon had stormed in after him utterly unopposed. The Imperial Legionnaires closed the distance instantly and the fight dissolved into the insurgents being beaten into the ground and in some cases unconsciousness.

O'Neill pushed himself off the ground and swept his gaze over the unconscious rebels. "Congratulations, we've just ended this rebellion." O'Neill quipped, his armoured face plate folding back to reveal his smiling face.

"Probably, sir. We'll secure the prisoners and this area." Hailey responded with an equally cheery smile, gesturing for the Master Sergeant to come over to her.

"Good, let's get these traitors back to the _Jealous Cherubim_. Tag them with transponders; I'll go check on the Beam Constructor." O'Neill nodded towards the large blast door which hid the heart of the Beam Constructor. "Oh and someone Vox Telford, he'll want to know the fights over."

The large solid metal doors slid back almost the instant he transmitted his codes they revealed an empty and dark corridor with another door at the other end. He reached the other blast door in a few, Semi-Powered Armour enhanced, strides; with another flash of his codes the door rumbled open to allow his access to the Asgard designed Beam Constructors control room. There was no noise, no indication of another person in the room, just the slight feeling of something being wrong. He spun on his heel weapon snapping up unnaturally fast to face a patch of slightly darker shadow.

The man stepped out from the shadows, he was an average nondescript Human, his body clad not in the stolen and hastily fitted Unpowered Armour like the other ringleaders but the outdate Flak Armour. The body armour was painted silver on black and the Covenant's icon was proudly displayed right across his heart. He was unarmed but still had a faint air of superiority to him.

"You are under arrest for crimes against the Imperium. Including treason, murder, seizure of illegal arms, occupation of Imperial buildings, and sedition." O'Neill stated his Semi-Powered Armour expanding out to cover his entire body again; just in case.

"I do not recognise you authority. We are a free people. Having thrown off the shackles of your oppression." The man replied in a dead monotone, seemingly amused by the very words. "What do you see when you are alone in the dark, and the dreams come to you?"

"What?" O'Neill hissed tightening his grip on his P-90 growing angrier at the smug expression on the strangers face.

"Darkness shall fall." The man whispered, his hand shooting behind his back to grab something. O'Neill reacted on instinct and opened fire, the enhanced armour piercing rounds of his modern P-90 more than a match for the old Flak Armour.

The man stumbled both his hands jumping to his stomach were a streams of crimson now leaked from the holes in his clothes. "Medic!" O'Neill shouted into his comm-bead hoping to keep the insurgent alive long enough to Mind-Sift him.

The Apostle smiled, blood seeping between his teeth, as he slumped to his knees holding the gaping wounds in his stomach. The Imperial loomed over him calling for a medic; how amusing. He swallowed down bile and blood before fixing the Imperial with a glare. "Hubris led the Ancestors to defeat and exile… and their obstinacy keeps them there. Isn't it wonderful how the whirlwind comes round again?" He asked mockingly before biting down hard on the transponder in his mouth.

"BEAM US OUT NOW!" O'Neill screamed into his comm-bead. He could only watch in horror as point several meters through the wall bloomed into a brilliant ball of purest white. In an instant his entire HUD was reduced to that insipid white. He felt the heat of the blast touch him even through his armour. He felt his skin blister and burn before the white blankness was replaced with a flickering and fuzzy bulkhead behind a row of running feet. Just as the figures reached him he let the darkness swimming at the edge of his vision engulf him.

* * *

"And how was it Apostle?" The Jaffa kneeling on the ground trembled at the sheer delight in that voice. He glanced up at the shadowed throne of the Cardinal, the leader of all the Covenant and one true Prophet of the Sleeping God. From the simple wooden chair all that could be made out of the perpetual and unnatural shadow that engulfed it was a pair of silvery purple eyes that gently glowed with the power of the Sleeping God. Behind him he felt the thousand eyes of all the other Apostles gather either in person, hologram or simple Vox to hear this report.

The Jaffa swallowed heavily, the Carapace Armour around his chest was suddenly unbearably tight as the sheer presence of the Cardinal pushed down upon him. "As predicted Cardinal. They are soft. Only a few of them have the audacity to do what is necessary; the others fret and mewl over 'damage control' and 'casualties'. It took them so long bring forth that iron will that tore down even the gods that we could have crippled them a hundred times over. All we have to worry about are the Adeptus Astartes and the Unborn God" He smirked up at the throne letting his bloodlust and bravado hide the fear in his heart.

"Do NOT exaggerate Apostle. Or I will ensure that your suffering will be legendary. You have only seen half the picture… but that is okay. The Imperium has retaken a meaningless Nascent World and the peoples of the galaxies love them for it. Your forces are painted as warlords and murders across the entire Imperium while they are heroes and liberators once again." The airy voice paused to sigh lightly, the vague outline of a hand waving in dismissal to the side. "Ah, how fickle are the ignorant? Nevertheless; we have seen how the eyesore known as 'Imperium' will react. All is well." The Cardinal reassured his followers, a murmur of agreement broke out amongst the gathered Apostles. He let it run its course; watching as they became even more eager for bloodshed and battle. "The Sleeping God has shown what we are to do next. Spread word to every Basilica, cell and Cultist that the Covenant is to prepare for war; war right across the galaxy. Darkness will fall, now and forever! Now… leave me." He hissed at the Apostles before slipping deeper into his abnormal shadows.

As the last of the apostles slipped from the room he narrowed his inhuman eyes in pleasure and looked up to the ceiling where a stellar-atlas of the Imperium had been painted in immaculate detail. "Marshall you forces; oh great Imperium. The cost of victory shall far outweigh the cost of defeat!"

He turned his silvery purple eyes to the device that sat and hummed to the side. Oh how unassuming the device was. How perfectly average this tool that could level worlds seemed. It was surprising that the Beam Constructor's Asgard core was so small. The Cardinal's laughter echoed through the Basilica sowing pure terror in all who heard it.

* * *

**On a related note my Beta has pointed out that there are an unbecoming number of 'made-up' words in this chapter and the story to come. To facilitate your reading pleasure I have compiled a list of the most common slang phrases. It will be posted on my profile for all to see. Everything else will be from the real world and easily Googled. Don't forget to review! Thank you.**


	7. Festival of the Daemon God

"Normal speech."

"**Gothic**."

"Telepathy."

"_Ship names or written works_."

* * *

Hammerchuckery: Sorry to say it only goes from bad to worse. _Death be thy compass._

Some101: Thanks. The longer chapters allow me to play with the story more but they do delay the release something awful. _Only the Emperor is all._

ziasyn: Ah, you caught me. I watched the film on a recommendation of a friend and the first and only thing that popped into my head was 'where was their Gellar Field?'. I liked the scene because it's just pure Chaos madness. _Curse now the death in vain._

Pinto: Thank you. Please see my note for everyone. _To fail in the service of the Emperor is the greatest of sins._

* * *

**As requested I now have a summary of terms, faction's goals and worlds in my profile. Check it out if you want some clarification. **

* * *

**Heresy Through the Wormhole Part 1: This Impure World – Festival of the Daemon God**

* * *

Kelkean. A massive shielded Lantean city built as an experiment. The System's dying star pumped out enough radiation to kill off most life inside a few hour of exposure. The idea had been to lure the unshielded and organic Wraith ships to their deaths. To that end a single massive construct, what the Imperium termed a Hive Spire, had been built across an entire continent to house the several million Humans that would serve as the bait. The idea never saw the fruition with the war forcing both sides from the Elysium Segmentum before the Wraith found the colony. Left alone the Humans had expanded to fill out the entire complex inside a few thousand years giving the world a healthy population of three billion. What had attracted Imperial interest to the isolated world was the unique pattern of degradation in the System's star. It was an uncomfortably close match to the Terac Shri Rai and Ortus Veriumas's star. The Mechanicus had fallen over themselves trying to study the after effects of a C'tan's feeding.

The world now served as a major trading hub and a secondary Navy rally point along the borders of Zerfàrim space. But most importantly it was the only world with a significant population to openly declare allegiance to the Covenant.

The ramp thumped down with a satisfying click and a very happy Free Trader strode out into the perpetual twilight of Kelkean. Her hands flew to her hips as she turned to face the interior of her ship. "Unload the cargo in the next half hour or no one gets any rations!" Vala boomed, instantly assuring her place as top dog in the minds of the awaiting starport staff. The evil laugh was just included for effect; mostly.

"Yes ma'am!" Nioskop responded with unforced gusto. The former test subject then threw a small container of Naquadah over his shoulder the show of strength strange considering his slight build.

"You two!" Vala bellowed at the McKays. "Go order us some supplies." The two Imperial agents nodded at the clear dismissal and quickly vanished into the busy starport. Vala turned from the starport Clerk that had scurried up to argue docking prices to spare a slight nod to the three Pacis Arx vacating the Chariot.

"We'll be on our way. Good luck." Cain offered the remaining crew before the black cloaks were absorbed into the multi coloured throng.

She spared a glance at the general direction of the retreating Arxs before returning to the problems at hand. "Should have spaced them when I had the chance." Vala grumbled even as she pictured the small moon she was going to purchase when this was all over. Turning back to the Administratum flunky she put on her game face. "Let's negotiate the price." She offered with a sickly sweet smile that made the man shiver in fear.

Lillia stopped, pulling her husband into a small alcove which sheltered them from the bustling crowds. "Rodney, you go and access the Muninn at the Administratum. I'll head into the underhive and try to locate a small Covenant presence. We'll meet back at here in about three hours." The Psyker whispered. Before Rodney could respond, her body had reverted to its natural colouration and she melted back into the scrimmage of busy people.

With a forlorn sigh McKay allowed the shadows to swallow him. He nearly fell flat on his face when the Veil of Darkness failed and threw him out several meters above a toilet cubicle. Grumbling at the near miss and the sudden failure of his Necron technology he deigned to walk to the Administratium; purely for the purposes of allowing the populace to bask in his brilliance of course.

McKay blinked as the three Pacis Arx skimmed along the edges of his enhanced senses. Still unsure about the Ordo personnel he tuned out all other noises solely focusing on them. "Inthema, your job will be to collect information from the local Arx. Then we will contact you through the Vox. Not the other way around." Gurron ordered the younger Arx giving the excitable young man a stern glare.

The smallest Arx stilled and McKay once again detected that inkling of brutal intelligence before it vanished behind his mask of simplicity. "Why can't I go with you?" Cain whined, annoyed how this persona forced him to act and the treatment it received.

Nisi grunted in amusement and Gurron threw her blonde ponytail over her shoulder as she scoffed at the very idea. "We are Section 7." She stated with finality. "Now run along like a good little Section 1 Arxs." Cain turned his face an unnatural blank and stalked off towards the local Ordo headquarters.

He glanced out at the _Flower of Carnage_ the Chariot looked simple enough but a loyal Clerk at the starport had noted the distinctly unnatural bulge of the ship's Heavy Railgun. They had been called quickly after to deal with the situation. "Neutralise then impound the ship. Terminate the crew." The Disciple nodded as the Apostle cut the Vox. With a sigh he motioned to the other two Covenanters and they left to find their Federation contact.

"Sorry my dear but I must insist." Even his bodyguards looked exasperated by the man's utter inability to negotiate. They had barged onto the _Flower of Carnage_ spouting all manner of bylaws and planetary regulations but it had boiled down to the local Federation bigwigs wanting a cut of their own pie.

Why you would illegally tax your own goods asides for the little bit of profit and massive peril it could net was beyond her. The sheer stupidity of these types astounded Vala but, she reminded herself, they had gotten into the Federation by being the best.

"I'm afraid not; until you display the correct authorisation and pay me my Credits the shipment will stay right where it is." She grumbled, sliding over to her Captain's chair.

"But my dear." The fat envoy followed her despite the low growl that rumbled from the Unas in the corner. "I'm sure we could come to an… agreement." His hands came to rest upon her armoured shoulders and his fingers traced small circles on the Plasteel and Ceramite plates.

That was it! She raged in her mind, pulling free of the other Free Trader her hand flew to a secret compartment on her armrest. With a hiss the pressurised compartment slid back and revealed her greatest treasure. Vala glared spitefully at the Federation envoy, all pretence of welcome having fled the moment the fat man laid hands on her, her ire was made known as she slowly and deliberately pulled on her most prised possession.

The fat man's eyes widened almost comically, his triple chins rippled as he flapped his puffy lips in astonishment. The Kull Warriors had been the most feared creatures in the entire Milky Way. Their sleek black armour and distinctive wrist mounted Plasma Repeater was unmistakable to anyone who had lived through Anubis's brief but potent reign of terror. The black vambrace emitted a slight hum as its weapon charged.

"No means no. Now get off my ship." She spat at the man. "Chaka!" She roared blasting a line of smouldering holes at the group's feet.

The Unas surged forward the already ridiculously dangerous Xeno's assault enhanced by his years of training. An Unas was capable of shattering almost every bone in a man's body with a simple one handed strike. Trained in the Imperium's close quarters fighting techniques the double fists that impacted the poor fool's sternum shattered almost the entire rib cage and shredded the man's organs. Nioskop came in behind the Unas the oddball pilot replaced with the Vanir engineered superhuman. An impossible dodge saw the knife skim over his face before a roundhouse kick broke his assailant's neck. Chaka picked up the final of the trio and with a bestial roar he snapped her like a twig over his knee.

"Captain." Anise's voice was, for once, not condescending but nevertheless still tight and prissy. "We have intruders." A screen activated showing several figure's in black Flak Armour pouring into the cargo bay.

"Deal with them." Vala snarled at the two Imperials. She stormed away intent on retrieving her full set of Kull Armour. No one pirated her ship. No one!

"Chaka. Sweep the lower decks. Type 20s are in my quarters." The Unas nodded at the white haired clone and jogged from the Bridge to collect the Lascarbines. "I wish those two would get back." Nioskop muttered pulling out a HK G36 from under his terminal.

"Charges set." The Disciple muttered avoiding the sneer of the Apostle. The woman snatched the detonator from his hands and depressed the lever. The Chariot's hyperdrive shattered as a few well-placed strips of C4 blasted apart it's more important systems. The blast also managed to take out the control crystals of the sub-lights leaving the Chariot even more crippled.

"Good now…" The Apostle never finished as a thin blue beam slashed across her torso severing the Covenanter into two neat pieces.

Chaka shifted position as the older red Las beams blasted black marks into the wall next to his head. The Unas raised the Lascarbine again and decapitated another of the intruders. The remaining two turned to run but they were only Human. The reptilian Xeno dropped the two corpses as another boarder came bearing down on him. This one was one of the better trained ones and several Railcarbine rounds slammed home against his Semi-Powered Armour. With a roar of challenge the Unas cut open the Apostle with his Lascarbine. A series of coded pulses left the Unas's Vox signalling the others that he had retaken the Engineerium.

Nioskop danced between the groups of Covenanters slipping his Vibrosword into the gaps the Flak Armour offered. With a final flourish he decapitated the final enemy. Life support was a small group of terminals in the bowls of the ship but he had reached them too late and now they were pot marked with Las burns and bullet holes. They had managed to Beam most of the trespassers away – conveniently ignoring the laws against such an act – but a few teams had slipped through to the _Flower of Carnage'_s main systems.

"Nioskop. Communications and life support clear." He reported kicking over a Disciple that was slumped over a terminal. "Damage severe." With that he left to finish sweeping the deck.

Vala sneered behind her black helmet as the Covenanters fled before her. Las, bullets and the occasional Vibroblade bounced off the Kull Armour as she tore through the fools that dared to enter her ship. Her wrist swept back and forth trailing a line of black indents along the wall as she scythed down yet another group. Anise had made it to the main Machine Spirit hub and barricaded herself in their but a lot of the links to the other systems had been severed by the raiders.

With a sigh Vala cut down the last die-hard Apostle. Chaka and Nioskop appeared at her side their green clothes riddled with holes showing the Un-Powered Armour underneath. Both of them looked worn out and Chaka was bleeping from a shallow gash above his eye.

"They have damaged nearly all the ships main systems. The hyperdrive is a ruin, life support is damaged, weapons are questionable, communications are gone and it will be some time before the sub-lights are back online." Anise's report was curt and had a faint air of disdain but Vala ignored the Tok'ra's moods as easily as she ignored the bodies slummed against the walls.

They had time before the Covenant could come for them. An open attack on a Free Trader was just too dangerous for them. "Just fix it." She ordered. With a sharp flick of her head Chaka and Nioskop left to help were they could.

The ease with which they had picked up the low level Disciple was ridiculous. The man had practically sauntered up to them and introduced himself as an undercover Covenant agent. It made them wonder about the local Ordo forces. A report had been sent to the Marshal but who knew how deeply the planet was riddled with corruption and traitors. They had taken their suspect to a small Section 7 safe house.

"Frag you!" The man roared thrashing against his restraints. "My friends will be here soon and you'll be in a world of hurt." He growled, spitting at Nisi`s feet.

The huge Arxs paid it no mind and simply began laying out his selection of 'interrogation' instruments. He was no Section 8 but he had a rudimentary knowledge of how to loosen people's tongues. "Tells us the name of your contacts." Nisi demanded, the small frown on his face twisting the white tattoos.

"I don't know what you're talking about." The man insisted, frantically glancing between Gurron and Nisi. Nisi picked up the miniature Rod of Agony and jabbed the suspect in the ribs with the Goa'uld device.

After a moment's exposure and the light filled screams of their target Nisi let up and once again asked his question. "Tell us the name of you contacts."

"Go frag yourself!" The man whimpered, bracing himself for another blast of the torture device.

"We can make this easier on you." Gurron offered speaking for the first time. She sauntered over Nisi and placed a hand on the Rod of Agony. "We can make your life easier." The Pacis Arx Commander continued playing her part of the 'good' cop.

"Anything I want?" The man whispered, fear filled eyes watching Nisi's hands.

"Within reason." Gurron confirmed signalling Nisi to prepare to hit the man again with the device. "As long as you give us what we need." She said, gesturing airily at the locked door.

He looked thoughtful for a moment his eyes flickering over Gurron before a smirk broke across his face. "I want to wear your face!" Commander Gurron took a fearful step backwards at the sheer delight the suspect exuded at the prospect. The Covenanter renewed his thrashing even more forceful than before. With a sharp snap the restraints came loose and he tumbled from the chair.

The man threw a frantic look around the room finding no way out and two Pacis Arxs closing quickly his hand clamped down on own throat and squeezed with all his might. Both Gurron and Nisi blinked in shock as their suspect basically broke his own windpipe and slowly slid to the floor his skin turning a horrible purple. The door burst open and in poured the local Arx all of them in full battle gear. The suspect watched with glassy eyes as his captors were dragged away all the time an infuriatingly smug grin plastered across his face.

The trip to the Governor's residence had been uneventful all things considered. For the heart of 'enemy' territory it was remarkably peaceful. The man he was here to see was dressed in some of rainbow coloured robe that was inlayed with what could be anything from iron to Trinium. Underneath the lavish clothes was a rather skinny and pale skinned man who had the habit of covering his narrow face with a hand when he spoke. The Governor had been informed of his arrival and his status as an Imperial agent. How he had known was rather suspicious but then the powers of a Governor, especially one in charge of the Sector's major planets, were rather far reaching. He had been rather dismissive of the oversized 'Jaffa' treating McKay more like an errand boy that the deadly High Mobile Infantryman he was posing as. A quick explanation that they were only here for information on the Federation and the Covenant had seen the man come to life. It didn't detract from the odd look of the man.

"Oh, such a dangerous mission." The Governor, whom he never bothered to learn the name of, sighed dramatically hiding his mouth behind a sleeve of his ridiculously coloured robe. "Well as a loyal subject of the Supreme Commander I'll just have to help any way I can." The man stated with an airy wave of his hand. McKay got the distinct impression that the Governor was either fishing for links off-world or far too wrapped up in the mystique of all the espionage stuff. "Here. Take this and my personal Administrator will see too your needs." His tone made it sound like this was a great personal undertaking and McKay assumed that he was supposed to be extremely obliged. So he faked it as best he could.

"Thank you for this unnecessary contribution Lord Governor. It will not be forgotten." Dear God how he hated all the brown nosing. How he longed for the day when he just shouted at and belittled people, especially Zelenka, then solved all their problems with his – very – superior brain. Still it was kind of cool being a spy except all the feigned emotion but sometimes having living metal instead of vocal cords was a bonus.

The Governor, a middle aged man by the name Eckardt, smiled humbly at McKay's retreating back. The moment the door hissed shut his face flickered into a sneer. With a small motion of his hand the room's internal Vox activated. "I'm sending you a present. Deal with it." He snapped into the air before he re-assumed a pleasant smile and summoned his next appointment.

The Administrator turned out to be an old woman who embodied the stereotype almost too perfectly. She was behind a simple Hololithic desk synth-wool shawl draped over her shoulders, her hair snowy white and a pair of knitting needles chattering away in her hands. She peered up at McKay from her half-moon reading glasses as he sat himself opposite her and cooed at his message with a voice like dry paper.

"I'm looking for records." The glare that flashed across her face was a little too vicious for McKay's liking and he quickly amended his statement. "Records on the local Covenant and Federation. I need a full rundown of their activities within the six months." He leaned across the holo-tank lowering his voice to a conspiratorial whisper.

"Oh my." The Administrator mumbled aged hands suddenly dancing through floating holographic symbols. "What a lot of information."

"If you could inload it to this." McKay said handing her a small sliver of Necrodermis disguised as a data crystal. "If there's anything I can do to help?" He offered feeling sorry of the old woman. She was frantically flickering through the local Muninn but the sheer quantity of data was overwhelming for one little old lady.

She stopped hands clasping in her lap and smiled happily at the much larger man. "Well, my dear. Why don't you die!" The old woman screeched pulling a Genii made shotgun from under her desk and blasting McKay in the chest. The startled hybrid tumbled backwards the powerful anti-Wraith rifle throwing him and his chair over. The old lady grunted in satisfaction and began rummaging around in her needle box for the hidden Vox. If the Imperials were being this open then their plan was almost at its apex.

McKay pulled himself to his feet almost instantly the shallow but wide dent in his Necrodermis already closing up. He cleared his throat and for a little added effect changed back into his true form. The old lady looked up and froze in terror as her supposed victim glared back at her. McKay's entire body shifted and warped his Mephet'ran costume melting back into his Human body and AR-1 uniform.

"Tell me everything you know." The old woman's Vox fell from suddenly limp fingers as she stared wide-eyed at the Left Hand of the Emperor. Then she simply screamed.

The two Disciples looked down from the raised platform. The woman was utterly out of place, her body language betrayed that much at least, the many gangers and Cultists on the ground floor were already working themselves up to a frenzy. The singular Priest at the middle of it all was screaming himself mute as he proclaimed the glories of the Sleeping God which the drug crazed gangers were all too ready to accept. Soon the newly acquired flesh would be lead out to the proverbial slaughter. Then the gangers that survived the orgy of butchery and decadence would be true Covenanters. This intruder on the other hand had singled herself out by not joining the mass of writhing barley clad Humans.

"Obviously an Imperial." The first Disciple muttered, noting the weapons at her waist. "Should we vanish her?" He looked at his older companion for a moment try to gauge his reactions.

The two of them were here to handle the transaction of their Human cargo with the Federation. Neither was prepared for more than intimidating the Federation operator and the obviously heavily armed Imperial was far out of their league. "No. Send word to the adjacent district to prepare a capture team. I know their Priest so use my name. I'll send her over their way in a moment." The older man responded shrugging free of his weapons. "And pay her." He grunted nodding at the semi-conscious whore slumped over their seats the needle still imbedded in her arm. The other Disciple muttered his acknowledgment and threw a handful of Credits at the woman before leaving.

The Arxs smiled at him and Cain dutifully smiled back but his danger senses, pummelled into him by his teachers on Revanna, were going nuts. Still he stepped deeper into the Ordo station. The line of about thirty desks stretched out before him but only about half were filled at the moment. Most of the Arxs were milling around their black cloaks threw haphazardly across chairs and desks exposing the Un-Powered Armour beneath. For someone who had been taught to be high strung at all times he found the relaxed air a bit disconcerting.

"I am here to receive all data pertaining to the movement of the Covenant in this System." Cain stated to the room at large. There was a small pause before the all the Pacis Arxs in the room exploded in laughter.

"And just who sent you?" Someone asked, but Cain couldn't locate who.

"I am here on orders from the Marshal." He replied taking out a small data crystal from his cloak. "If you would kindly escort me to your Muninn." He continued placing the crystal on the closest desk.

The closest Arx looked him over and sighed. "Just a Section 1. No big deal." Then she smiled at him all kindness while she pulled her sidearm out and took aim at his head. "No one will miss him."

Cain glared as the others began to draw weapons. Traitors. The thought rang through his head like a death knell. Then he sprang into action. He was upon the smiling woman faster than she could blink. A twist of her arm sent the Laspistol flying from her hand and he spun her around to face the others. With a flicker of his free hand he focused on the power packs of the Las and Rail weapons as he had been taught. It had taken him a long, long time to master the ability to affect the Imperial charge packs but it was a valuable power. It took a second but the power packs overloaded just like he planned. With a yelp most of the traitors dropped their weapons as they received a small but painful shock. He drove his hand into back of his hostage.

The woman gasped and stiffened before she began to scream. Information poured into his mind and using his free hand motioned for the other Arxs to move against the far wall. The stunned people complied without a thought as their comrade twitched and bled on the end of the Imperial's arm.

"Just what are you?" One of the traitors muttered as Cain dropped the dead woman. He turned towards the cowed traitors his hands flickering with ethereal power.

"Commander Cain Inthema. Section 10 of His Divine Majesty's Interplanetary Peacekeepers." He intoned, the juvenile and cheerful voice replaced with a dull monotone. Dark grey lines bloomed on his neck and scalp as his sub-dermal Psychic Hood came alive when he flooded power into them. Underneath his clothes sub-dermal enhancers began to hum at the prospect of action.

"There's no such thing as 'Section 10'!" A voice from the crowd shouted, thick with sarcasm. Somewhere he could feel a weapon power up. With a flick of his hand the Laspistol exploded knocking the traitorous fool over.

"Precisely." Cain hissed. It took a moment before realisation settled on the Arxs but a sudden stillness infected the group when it did.

"W-w-wait! We can give you anything you want. Power! Wealth! Women! Just name it." One of the traitors pleaded. There was a general muttering of agreement from the others and Cain found his loathing for them growing.

The cold faced teenager suppressed the urge to snarl. Instead he went through the ceremonies of the Ordo. If only to calm himself. "In fealty to the God Emperor – our undying lord –, by the grace of the Golden Throne and the powers vested upon my office by Executive Order 19. I hereby condemn you to death; and consign your immortal souls to oblivion. May Imperial justice account in all balance. The Emperor protects." He stated calmly. Then he thrust his hands forward. The wave of distortion tore through the room turning everything it touched to dust. The traitorous Arx in the room screamed as they exploded into ash leaving nothing but Cain alive.

With a mental push the Adamantium door was blasted from its hinges and he was in the secure area. An alarm screamed from the Vox but he raced on past his enhancers pushing him above and beyond Human limits. He flew through the pre-fab building to the Muninn terminal but the entire device had self-detonated by the time he got there. With a growl he raced out back towards the exit but stopped when he felt the familiar presence of his two 'teammates' with a sigh he turned towards the holding cells.

A burst of power vaporised the Plasteel door and Cain hurtled into the cellblocks taking the Arx stationed there by surprise. The cells were all attached by a long corridor and a single Arx sat just beside the door. A startled gasp escape the woman's mouth before a Warp empowered fist smashed into her chest. She bounced off the walls until she came to rest further down the corridor her neck bent at an unnatural angle. Skidding to a halt he blasted open one of the Armaplas door only to reveal a pair of female legs being swallowed by a ball of shadow.

Cain stared at the strange phenomenon absolutely stunned at the utterly wrong darkness engulfed the last of Commander Gurron. The moment of surprise cost the young Arx dearly. Another traitorous Arx came storming out of one of the cells an old P-90 clutched in his hands. The Tau'ri weapon tore into the compressed Un-Powered Armour punching through the light under covering. With a startled gasp Cain crumpled to the ground his hand flying to a transponder as his assailant advanced on him. He lashed out catching the arm before it plunged a knife in his back and was engulfed by a humming white light.

Anise jumped in surprise when a flash of light deposited a bullet ridden Cain on the floor of her Apothecarion. The Tok'ra screamed when the little Arx dropped a still twitching severed arm.

They had ambushed her under the pretext of being a Pacis Arx informant. But all of them

had been taken utterly by surprise when their Wraith Stunners did little more than give her a moment's pause. So far she had killed or incapacitated about six of them, mostly untrained civilian Cultists, but her Laspistol had been lost in the fighting. Lillia swept low catching the man in the knee the joint snapped instantly under the super Human hit. She stomped on the fallen man's throat without a second thought as she parried away a humming Vibrosword with her combat knife. Her third assailant unleashed his KH-2002 the old Arabian Alliance assault rifle spraying death at the melee. She ducked faster than any Human could move and rolled under the rounds that shredded the still standing man. Lunging to her feet she drove a lightning wreathed fist into the rifleman's sternum killing him instantly.

A female assailant came flying across the room a large sword held high above her head. With a flick of her wrist Lillia buried her combat knife to the hilt in the Cultists chest. The body collapsed to the ground instantly and the slight reprieve allowed the cornered woman to draw her Immaterium Blade, the sword of red lightning flashing into existence a moment latter. The remaining Covenanters all seemed to still at the sight a collective intake of breath followed. Grateful for the reprieve Lillia managed to fire off another blast of energy at the closest target. The unformed burst of Warp power vaporised the unfortunate man before he could even scream. Shaken the Covenanters backed off allowing the gangers to rush in.

The tattooed and drug crazed cannon fodder scrambled towards their prey with no coordination several of them tripping over themselves or other gangers. They were met head-on by a storm of eldritch lightning. The red streaks of power tore into the gangers vaporising flesh and bone sending organic shrapnel tearing through the air. She slumped with the expenditure of power the Replicon cells that maintained her superhuman physique all burnt out by the discharge. The remaining Disciples moved forward warily

She suddenly felt a spike of energy at her back and her face met the floor. She groaned as all her muscles clenched at once freezing her in place and near unbearable torment played over her nerve endings. The Apostle held the modified Rod of Agony against the woman's back until the power cell was well and truly dead. Even then he was almost cripplingly cautious as he bound his prize. He would constantly glance at the carnage his mood alternating between fear and excitement.

Anise had even prayed to the Machine God to get the civilian bucket of bolts into the air. But fly it did and by Queen Egeria and every psychotic Emperor worshiping Jaffa soldier-fanatic in the three galaxies it was going to get them out this System. They blew through the planets traffic and broke into supersonic flight almost as soon as they left the starport. The atmosphere fell away quickly and they managed to avoid the low orbit Aegis Platforms and the Halos' fire zones. However they were still blocked by a Frigate that was hailing them over the Vox demanding they stand down.

The Heavy Railgun flashed and instantly the unprepared flank of the slowly orbiting Assailant crumpled under the force of the blow. The large supra-light speed round blew through the armour of the Frigate and exited the other side in a shower of air crystals and metal shards. The ship went dark a moment later when the Machine Spirit shut down the plasma reactor to prevent detonation. The _Flower of Carnage _went screaming past the floundering Frigate pushing its slightly altered civilian gradeengines for all they were worth. Three more Frigates angled towards the _Flower of Carnage_ burning their engines into the red to catch the murderous little Chariot.

The two Orion drones slid from the cargo bay. The Reaper immediately went racing towards the Wing of I-301s closing from the nearest Crow. The Hunter hovered near the Chariot trying desperately to scramble anything trying to target the cargo vessel. A Squadron of Destroyers broke through the atmosphere their oversized engines closing the distance between the fleeing Chariot far too quickly for comfort. The only Crow that was close enough to hit them was on the other side of the planet and the others were too far out to stop them. A Plasma Lance reached out from the moon base but soared wide. Unfortunately it forced the _Flower of Carnage_ on a direct course towards the System's inner Battleship. Moving too fast to dodge in time the Chariot was heading straight for the mighty Void Shield of the closing Orillia.

Cain clubbed the Unas over the head dropping the huge reptilian Xeno in a single strike. Anise had managed to patch him up enough to move and hopefully force enough power through his battered body for this. Raising his hands he focused on the damaged hyperdrive. He found the damaged sections in moments and with a liberal application of mental power forced the components back together or in some cases patched what remained together. The entire room shuddered as inertia sought to tear it apart or the little Chariot was clipped by the mighty guns of the Battleship. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he strained with all his might to finish before the swirling darkness of unconsciousness claimed him. The cylindrical engine groaned as if under pressure for a moment before the ship lurched and went hurtling into hyperspace moments before it flattened itself against the Void Shield. He passed out the moment the engine seemed to settle down collapsing on top of Chaka.

She awoke with a start, instinctively lashing out at the closest thing she could sense. The chain snapped taunt a few centimetres short of the man's solar plexus and the gout of lightning she was intending to launch never materialised. A sharp kick in the back was her reward as the other Apostle retaliated. Slamming face first on the floor she took a moment to examine her situation. She was chained to the ground by her wrists and ankles, her powers were being suppressed somehow and the room was poorly lit with an unknown number of hostiles out of sight.

A foot came to rest on her back and pressed down slowly. "The Cultists are going to have a fit when we give them her. She's on a whole other level compared to the regular gutter filth we pass on to them. God, even I might join in." A chorus of dark chuckles dripped from the shadows. Ignoring the disturbing mutterings Lillia began to count how many different voices she could hear.

"Silence you fool. She will serve a much higher purpose." The other hissed, a manic intensity in his voice. The muttering stopped as the other Apostles in the room regarded their brother with confusion.

A door at the other end of the room burst open and a shadow slunk into the chamber moving with an inhuman grace. A horrible sense of helplessness and foreboding settled on all in the room as the pure psychic might of the Cardinal pressed down on them. Growing from the darkness the figure melted into a raised throne like chair but what drew the eye were the two unnatural eyes that stood out like beacons in the darkness as they burned with otherworldly light. All the Apostles stilled at the entrance of their Cardinal. A moment passed as the man's unnatural presence settled to a bearable level.

"My lord Cardinal. She has the Gift." The man to her left was breathing heavily almost like he was getting over excited. There was a sharp intake of breath form the shadows but no one uttered a word.

The seated figure peered at her his inhuman silvery purple orbs narrowing in concentration. Suddenly the Cardinal leaned forward just enough to reveal a huge maniacal grin filled with teeth sharpened to a point. "I remember you. You were there… at the beginning. On Commoragh."

* * *

His eyes slid up from his newspaper to watch the final member of their little meeting slid into place opposite him. His trousers squeaking against the seat's plastic coverings as he deliberately took his time to settle. The other two didn't bother to acknowledge him instead focusing on their own reading material.

"So how's everyone?" The latecomer asked, dripping false cheer as he shrugged off his sport jacket.

"Stop playing the fool." The man opposite him snapped, his wrinkled face pulling into a frown as he gently folded his newspaper away.

"Most indecent." The only female at their little table scoffed, placing her magazine before the latecomer. "When We allowed this the understanding was that they would be made to battle one another to the death." She glared daggers at the latecomer, stabbing her magazine with a manicured finger. "Not slug it out until the fabric of reality failed!" She worked herself up into such an agitated state that a few hairs popped loose of her neatly sculpted bun.

All eyes glanced down at the publication she was so vehemently assaulting. Printed across the front in big bold letters was: _Yngir. Friend or Foe?_ Beneath the caption a picture of two McKays back to back. One normal smiling gently at them the other a silver negative a hand stained in blood reaching out towards them. The latecomer pushed away the magazine with a dismissive grunt.

"Well?" The old man barked, swatting his younger antagonist over the head with his newspaper.

"Oh, leave him alone." The final member of their gathering finally spoke. The dark skinned man had a voice so deep it seemed to rumble in their chests. A single jaundiced eye slid from his novel to glare at them.

They were sitting round a simple laminated wood table on vinyl upholstery that was covered in cigarette burns and stains. Before them all the makings of a full course breakfast had been laid out but nothing more than the drinks had even been touched. An otherworldly light poured in from the large windows leaving the outside a simple blur of white. Above the doorway someone had jokingly hug a plague reading: The Diner at the Edge of Forever. No one else other than their serving girl was there at the moment letting the meeting take place in peace. The female was prim and proper seemingly somewhere in her late sixties with deep wrinkles beginning to claim her face. Her hair was pulled up into a tight bun that did little to hide the streaks of grey within and her mouth was set in a thin, stern, line. Eyes the colour of the sky glared out at the world and her entire body was shrouded by a woollen shawl. The older white male was bald all but the thinnest waifs of pure white hair long gone from his scalp. Deep set dark eyes shifted constantly calculating the universe's mysteries away. He sat almost ram rod straight in his grey suit only the occasional motion to smooth a crease distracting him from glowering heatedly at the younger man. The youngest, only in his mid-forties, wore a simply cardigan pulled over a shirt an ever shifting image of the swirling mass of a forming galaxy woven into the material. His eyes were an inquisitive electric blue and a faintly smug smile tugged at the corners of his lips. He lounged back into the cheap seating taking a great amusement in everything. The black male was even older than his white counterpart. His face a little more than a work of deep crags which had set into them a pair of the purest black eyes surrounded by the sickly yellow of jaundice. He too was in a suit but wore it far more causally then the other and seemed far more interested in his book that the Others.

"Ah! The great and mighty one finally speaks!" The old man proclaimed to the empty dinner sarcasm dripping so thickly form his voice it threatened to melt a hole in the table. "What's got you so wrapped up anyway?" He demanded, reaching across the table to snatch away the dark skinned man's book. His hand was intercepted by that of the woman and he begrudgingly settled back down.

With a dismissive sigh the black male turned the small book to display the cover to the others. _The Child of the Sun and the Daughter of the Moon._ "It's quite good." He rumbled, taking a dainty sip from his coffee.

"I never had you pegged for hopeless romances." The youngest quipped, tapping his chin in thought. The man just shrugged in response and returned to reading.

"The entire universe is spiralling towards collapse and all! And ALL! You can do is watch two of those infinitesimally small creature dance around one another." The woman screeched, more hair bursting free of her bun as she nearly threw herself across the table to choke the life out of her stupidly relaxed peer.

Both yellowed eyes shifted up to lock with hers. "Priorities my dear." He replied with the youngest nodding along sagely. "Priorities."

"Enough." The older white male hissed. With a click of his fingers a waitress appeared at their table her head bowed low in subservience. "Oma, bring us more coffee. This might take a while." The Oma Desala nodded quietly and vanished from sight as quickly as she had appeared.

"We came to talk about the plan. The Yngir is in motion. Terminus did a fine job of guiding it towards it targets. He cannot escape here without His slave-worshipers." The youngest prompted dramatically, sprawling himself across the seat his demeanour all pride and arrogance.

"The plan is STILL in motion. With the time stream so clouded We can be sure of nothing yet." The woman retorted, quickly scrunching her nose up in distaste at the very thought of what they were forced to do.

"We have prepared for the worst." The dark skinned man muttered. Defences were in place should their Imperial vectors fail to disrupt the summoning. The real issue was that those same defences would never hold against Him. And they all knew it.

"And if the worst does come to pass?" The youngest pushed the subject forward but his voice had lost a lot of its bravura. All of them shifted uncomfortably unwilling to voice the path that would be left to them.

"Then; We are committed." The oldest male whispered. All of them winced and the dinner trembled with the mental backlash of that statement. "We must help the Humans, the Imperium, to destroy Him. And in the process we will face our old foe."

"And We should be glad of it." The oldest white male muttered. "Look at this." He held up his newspaper displaying the headline for the others to see. _Ori Crusade gathers pace. Imperium caught flat footed._

"And?" The woman demanded unsure how the minutia of insects slaughtering one another was her problem. They were interrupted for a moment when Oma returned with a fresh batch of coffee before she vanished again.

"The Imperium is ours." The man replied hotly, drawing disapproving glances form the others. "If the Ori take it a great change will sweep through them. No matter the carnage He causes in His rampage, both to us and the Humans, it will never equal what will happen with the Ori. Those close minded bigots have long turned away from the universe this war will reawaken them to it. Very soon they will finally have enough power to circumvent the Convention. They will be able to break the Rules!" He stressed, trying to impress upon them the sheer scale of the problem.

Seeing the still sceptical faces of the other he turned a page of the newspaper displaying another headline. "And this is 'tomorrows' that I managed to pluck from the time stream." _WAR! Battle across the stars! The Greatest-War-Ever-Fought! With all of creation up for grabs. Who will emerge from the ashes? Who will rule over Heaven and Earth?_ "We must be ready to counter Them!"

The dark skinned man frowned deeply the wrinkles of his face all moving at once. "Our focus is the task at hand. The manifestations the Humans seek to summon are of Immaterium and therefore fall under our domain." He said, dragging the conversation back to where it belonged.

"But they were always here. Who are We to decide where they go?" The older white male pointed out. Long had the creatures of the Warp lived as slow dull things. Easily ignored but it was only recently they began to take on more aggressive traits.

"The Humans dally in… what do they call it? The Wrap, the Ripple? No; the Warp." She paused to shake her head in dismay. "Such a stupidly simple word for it. What they bring upon themselves is not our problem. We should only seek to limit or negate the damage to Ourselves."

"I agree." The youngest said, shocking the proud smirk from the woman's face. "There is but one way We can achieve this. We must interfere now! Tear down this Covenant before they do any damage." He argued, prepared in advance to be shot down by the others.

"Never." The female hissed, her mug of coffee cracking under her death grip. The other two nodded. While he might condone fighting with the Ori erasing Humans who followed a certain religion made them just as bad as their old foe.

"A little help then?" The youngest pushed, flashing the woman a cheeky smile. He could feel that their Yngir vector might need all the help he could get.

"Perhaps." The two oldest of the gathering muttered together. Plans drew together in their minds forming and being discarded faster that the orbit of a Hydrogen's electron.

In the background Oma Desala wept silently for the dead and those billions still to die. None of them offered any comfort to the disgraced Ascended. And she wanted none.

* * *

The Imperial agents had gotten away and one of their Frigates had been destroyed but the trophy they had claimed far outweighed all of that. The two Disciples dragged the unconscious woman by the arms towards the thin shaft of light. This little safe house, buried deep into the foundations of the city, held one of their most prised possessions. The old woman was Wraithkin but held a connection so strong that it had driven her insane long ago. The Gift, as they called it, allowed her to perform supernatural feats. The most useful of those was the ability to sense others like her. If the claim was true then the redhead would be the renowned performer at the summoning. If not then the Cultist would gain a new plaything.

The three Apostles at the door lowered their weapons when the two men came into sight. "Be quick something is disturbing her." A female Apostle snapped, waving them into the light with her Lasgun.

The old woman was chained to a stone chair everything that touched her as adorned in the twirling swirls of Warp runes that hurt they eyes to look at. "Old woman!" The leading Disciple shouted a hint of fear creeping into his voice as the Psyker moved in her chair.

"Her beauty shimmers with the light of a new star. But she is of the other. Touch her, and we will all know Death." The voice was like sandpaper harsh form disuse. She twisted, blank sightless eyes flashing towards the two Disciples and their captive. "Closer."

The two Covenanters shared a worried glance before they warily advanced on the wriggling Gifted. "Tell us if she is of your ilk!" The trailing one shouted, his voice cracking when the runes began to glow a dull red.

"Welcome the twilight. Welcome the blackness. Welcome the inky night." She hissed ragged nails digging into groves long carved in the stone by her own hands. "Only in Darkness. Can I see your soul!" The glowing script flashed and then died and the woman sagged into her chains. "She is Gifted." The two Disciples nodded at the blind old woman and began slowly backing away when suddenly her harsh voice cried out as if in pain.

The old hag arched her back in the stone chair her chains pulling taunt as she struggled against them. "Kill her. Kill HER! Kill the whore! Stain the ground with her blood!" She hissed and spat with such venom that the two Disciples took a fearful step back. Suddenly she seemed to lose all energy and collapsed boneless into the huge chair. "The thing in her belly; oh it sings, it sings. See how it serenades the universe." She whispered dull blind eyes rolling aimlessly in her skull. Again her muscles bulged and she flew out of the seat trying to claw at the unconscious woman. "Kill her before it's too late!" The two Disciples retreated from the room as quickly as they could while the insane old woman contained to rant and rave straining against her chains. "That thing will cancel the skies and scratch out the earth! Scratch US out!" Her final screech was cut off by the thick Plasteel door slamming shut but it still left the two Disciples shuddering in fear.

The structure was huge, a massive cavern set deep underneath Kelkean, even beneath the underhive, designed to hold the entire original populace of Hive World and then some. It had original been intended as a shelter come gathering point where the Lanteans could issue their declarations over the shambling Human masses. To that end a large ziggurat structure jutted out of the centre of the cavernous expanse. The Covenant had found the place abandoned and quickly converted it into their largest Basilica. Huge walls of metal covered in the angular and blockish designs of the Lanteans, now defaced with the erratic symbols and runes of the Sleeping God, shaped into a dome marked the boundaries and a single set of two story doors were the only entrance. The entire expanse was filled with writhing bodies covered in sweat and blood. Cultists tore apart the Humans that had been given to them either in orgies of drug enhanced sexual lust or near psychotic rages. Disciples, more in control of their base urges, were grouped near the ziggurat, clumped together as they prayed to the Sleeping God and preformed minor rituals upon each other. The Priest floated though the masses ensuring that the Pit didn't claim too many of their flock. The Covenanters felt safe to revel in their most extreme excesses here; the only way to reach the same level other than drilling was a secret service tunnel leading from one of the poorer areas of Kelkean. A secret tunnel now guarded by just a few Apostles. A secret tunnel sitting right in the warpath of a very angry Star Vampire.

The Apostles never knew what hit them. One instant they were sitting around a table lamenting to one another their inability to participate in the summoning. The next the supposedly impenetrable Adamantium plated wall exploded. Not quite exploded simply ceased to exist. The Apostles rolled with the blast of debris and quickly trained their weapons on the breach. What greeted them was a scene from there nightmares. Standing alone in the breach, wreathed in abhorrent green light and covered in shifting inhuman hieroglyphs, was the Left Hand of the Emperor. And he looked pissed.

Before they could even register the pure flight response their bodies were screaming the Imperial weapon of mass destruction moved. Inside a nanosecond he was upon the first Apostle bisecting the man with a movement too fast to track. The first burst of fire streaked through where he had been but all it did was put the unfortunate souls in McKay's sights. Twin beams of Gauss leapt from an outstretched hand and utterly erased the Apostles, their cover and the wall behind them. Another imperceptible motion and the Star God hybrid was amongst the largest cluster of Apostles. The fastest of them had time to turn her eyes towards the flicker of silver before the entire group collapsed into neat chunks of twitching meat.

The Apostles were panicking now. All they could see was a silver and green blur floating gracefully through the room followed by a cloud of red. There hadn't even been time to scream yet. Another group were cut down by a flash of silver. And yet another were simply gone, the horrifying green flames obliterating everything they touched. Panic was replaced with utter terror as the realisation of what was happening finally sunk in.

A hand motion sent lightening screaming through the air. Of the remaining three Apostles two were all but vaporised by the attack. The final Covenanter, a young woman, threw down her gun and ran. She got a single step before a spear of Necrodermis lanced through her thigh. The living metal shifted like liquid to wrap itself around her leg before it dragged her back towards its master. The dust of his entrance finally settled leaving McKay standing, utterly untouched, over his final victim.

The Governor of Kelkean, himself a Priest in the Covenant, slowly ascended the stairs to the top of the pyramid. The large structure allowed him to see over the vast hall that housed the major portion of Kelkean's active Covenanter population. Looking down he noted the seven sacrifices arranged around the eighth all of them with the proper summoning script inked into their naked bodies. Most of them were homeless that no one would miss but the real prize was the Gifted one. A pity he though taking note that the redhead was quite beautiful as she lay chained to the altar. Filling his lungs to almost bursting he addressed the gathered Covenanters. "Children of the Covenant of the Sleeping God! We dedicate these sacrifices to He Who is Upon His Mountain!" The roar of ten million voices washed over him and he let the knowledge that he commander their every whim fill him with a dark pleasure.

"All glory to the Sleeping God!" The cry seemed to shake the entire world with its ferocity. Governor Eckardt nodded allowing the Cultists and Disciples to work themselves into a fever state before he continued. The other Priests began their low rhythmic chanting as the Apostle's sealed shut the massive bronzed doors.

"He." Eckardt paused allowing every single act of debauchery and slaughter to cease as he bathed in their undivided attention. "Whose fury could erase the world and overturn the stars a thousand times!" The Vox carried his voice to every corner of the massive structure resonating against the Lantean metal walls. Wails of joy and pain answered him as the worshipers of the Sleeping God carved into their own flesh symbols of their devotion.

"He is the heart that beats in the darkness, He is the blood that will never cease, and now He will rise!" This time Edckardt howled in laughter as the Humans before him pounced upon one another. Their true savage natures unleashed against one another and the play things the Covenant gave them.

He tore his eyes away from the tapestry of pain and pleasure, blood and sex, to focus on the sacrifice before him. "Oh brave warriors, unafraid and willing, with your blood you open the Pit! With your blood He shall be free!" The Priests' chanting reached its zenith the deep rumbling chant having become a thunderous roar. Edckardt picked up the serrated ceremonial dagger formed from the very stuff of the Pit. Raising it high above his head as the hieroglyphs carved into the floor and those on the sacrifices began to glow. Other Priests prepared themselves above the seven other sacrifices. "With your blood you renew the WORLD!" He brought the dagger down between the sacrifice's breasts in a sharp motion the unnatural blade punching through even the reinforced bones of a Pariah with ease.

The Governor tore the blade free in a shower of arterial spray. He stepped back to watch the dark, almost black, blood stream down the side of the gasping sacrifice and the alter. He twitched at that. Somehow the redhead had awoken despite the drugs and her wide, desperate, eyes were flickering everywhere her mouth thrown wide as she screamed in silence straining against her bonds. The instant the first drop touched the runes carved into the floor the dim red light exploded in intensity burning like a new star. Eckardt had a front seat view as the still silently screaming sacrifice's chest exploded in a deluge of scarlet rain. The litres of blood swirled together above the wide eyed woman forming a perfect sphere of crimson.

Eckardt briefly noticed that a similar process was happening with the others but his eyes were fixed upon the sphere before him. It just seemed to be more, somehow greater, than the others. "The Pit is OPEN!" He screamed near hysterics as vaguely humanoid limbs began to extend from the floating blood.

"Please…" The woman in his hands whimpered only to scream as the blanket of darkness engulfed her once again. McKay's Nightmare Shroud wrapped the Apostle in her worst nightmares making it practically a reality for his target. He watched dispassionately as the woman convulsed on the floor foam leaking from her mouth. He broke her arm like a twig as another surge of fury rose up in him but he forced it back until he could finish with her.

Releasing the Apostle from his grasp he forcefully woke her again. "Were have they taken her?" He whispered the very fabric of the room trembling with his fury. The woman, utterly broken in both mind and body, weakly pointed towards the far wall. Her confession was confirmed by a low roar, almost beyond Human hearing, that could only have come from a massive crowd echoing through the deathly silent room. She welcomed the release from the torture that the near invisible strand of Necrodermis offered as it punched through her skull. The wall almost seemed to quiver when he looked at it. The Particle Whip blasted the thing apart exposing a reinforced door. He vaporised that with a gesture and proceeded down the hidden tunnel near the speed of sound.

"andhatAmisranetRyujate!" The world shook with those words.

The sphere of blood had finally taken on the form of the Daemon that the Covenant had let lose upon the Materium. It was tall and slender a single all-encompassing cloak reaching from its neck to the ground hid it body from view. The cloak, a muted bronze that neither glittered nor shone, seemed to shimmer and ripple constantly shifting as if it were liquid. Atop the Daemon's head was a thickly armoured helmet that covered everything except its eyes and the few small holes around its mouth. The interior of the helmet was cast in a shadow far too dark that obscured every detail of the things features except its pair of hypnotically powerful eyes. The twin spheres, perfect circles at the moment, were the colour of putrid yellow and glowed with their owner's power but illuminated nothing of the creature's face. The great helm was black, darker than the void between the stars. The edges of the armour were highlighted in a dark blood red that faded into the black as long trailing lines and along the most prominent edges it glowed like it was still fresh from the fires of its creation.

The Daemon sucked in a deep breath that rattled in the depths of its great helm. Its orbs of putrid yellow narrowed as they stared down at Eckardt. "You fool." It spat its voice metallic and echoing. "What have you done? Do you have any idea who this is?" It demanded, taking a threatening step forward, a hand encased in the same style of armour as its helmet emerging from the shimmering cloak to point at the still bleeding and twitching body of redheaded sacrifice. Eckardt opened and closed his mouth several times but no sound came out. "We thought as much. Let us trust that you can at least slow it down." The Bronze Lord muttered turning its armoured head to where the smoke was beginning to clear.

The few Apostles that hadn't died in the massive explosion quickly recomposed themselves and opened fire into the dust cloud. Riddling the air with red Las and a multitude of different calibre rounds until their ammunition ran dry. A wave of emerald energy emerged from the obscuring screen of dust the crescent of Gauss scything through the Apostles and sweeping through the Covenanters behind them. Hundreds collapsed their bodies split neatly in two looks of shock and confusion etched on their faces. There was a clap of thunder and a stream of green light leapt out to detonate amongst the Cultists and Disciples tearing them apart at the atomic level in an explosion of massive proportions. The blast cleared away the dust and Eckardt could see the thing that had dared to intrude upon their ritual. Burning like an evil star a point of emerald light steadily advanced deeper into the hall.

"Where is my wife?" The very air seemed to hiss the words, each molecule resonating with the will of the being before him. The entire Covenant congregation seemed to take a terrified step back suddenly deeply aware of the inhuman predator they faced. Eckardt felt a chill run down his spine when an utterly alien sentience washed over him and the Gifted sacrifice at his feet. An ancestral memory arose from the deepest parts of his psyche it screamed for him to run. Run and never stop. He began to tremble in place his body expelling as much as it could at once to lighten itself.

It watched, with eyes born of Immaterium and blood, the waves of power rolling off that creature. Such power; and it all could have been theirs. "Kill it." It growled, a burst of Warp power shrugging off the cloak of terror that saturated the air. It revelled in the pungent smell of fear that rolled of the Humans delighting in the way it made their presence in the Immaterium all the more delicious; the bounties of the Materium were truly worth the risks.

"A-at… at once." Eckardt stuttered, very much aware of the Daemon's power over his life and soul. "In the name of the Sleeping God and our Covenant! Kill the interloper!" He roared through the Vox, his voice echoing countless times through the massive structure.

As if a switch had been thrown the Covenanters seemed to shrug off the worst of the fear that had gripped their hearts and rushed towards the intruder screaming their lungs out. The ground trembled as ten million feet pounded against it and atop their pyramid the Priests watched the sheer mass of Humans move towards their objective with a confident satisfaction. McKay watched the naked and semi-naked blood crazed Humans charging him in slow motion. His Lantean eyes tracking each and every one of them. Threats were noted, symbols recorded and stored for latter analysis, priority targets were marked and a clear path to the ziggurat was laid out before him.

A hand motion was all that was necessary to rearrange the molecules of the floor. The bedrock shifted under his will forming spikes that many of the Covenanters skewered themselves on. Screams of pain disturbed the roar of the Cultists charge as many of them tore out their own intestines on the unnatural stone formations. Slowed by the dead and the obstacles McKay had all the time in the world to lash out with his Necron weapons. Waves of Gauss leapt forward cutting through the mass of Human flesh with ease leaving perfectly cleaved bodies littering the ground in huge piles. But still the Cultists charged forward, scrambling over their own dead and dying to reach their foe. Drinking deep from energy of his slaughter and riding on the waves of his fury McKay tore apart reality itself in an attempt to clear a path.

Flashes of light, as brilliant as the sun, lit the huge cavern each burning ball carving out a huge crater and ending thousands of lives in an instant. There was no cloud of debris or dust this time the sheer ferocity of the blasts having burned everything it touched to glass. The blast wave flattened even more of the Covenanters leaving only McKay standing. The Covenant Priests turned to the Daemons for help as a streak of burning green light suddenly shot forward. The blur of that accursed light weaved through the stunned Cultists flickering in a seemingly random pattern. Shifting left and right painting a jagged slash of crimson and death in its wake.

"Star Vampire." The Bronze Lord hissed, watching the streak of green light tear through the Covenanters like a scythe through grass. An orb of blackness formed in front of the Daemon and its armoured claw reached out for the dark shape as it lengthened. Before it could reach its weapon the darkness wavered and vanished in a cloud of blood. Growling it turned to the Priests. "Commit the Touched."

McKay snarled in primal fury as the ecstasy of feeding on Humans almost overwhelmed him again. Too many times he had almost lost himself to the instincts of the Star Vampire. Too many times he had almost forgotten the reason he was butchering the Covenant scum by the thousands. He travelled outside the flow of time strands of Necrodermis, too many to count, laced out from his back the monomolecular blades flying amongst the Humans that dared attack him eviscerating everything they touched. His hands, now tipped with blades instead of fingers, were thrown around in long sweeping motions severing arms, legs and tearing open torsos leaving the victims twitching wrecks as thousands of volts tore through their bodies. Left, right, up, down, through and around he flowed through the mob a blur of green death. His world was now a haze of crimson mist and a single ziggurat before him. Suddenly an all too familiar feeling of wrongness jerked him abruptly back into the flow of time.

The man was huge almost as tall as a Space Marine but so thin it was a wonder he could lift the axe in his hands. The gangling man flew towards McKay his weapon swung back in a vicious overhead that would split a normal man in two. Still slightly disorientated from the sudden flash of Warp power McKay stumbled slightly tangled webs of Necrodermis lashing out furiously as the semi-sentient metal tore into everything that moved. To a Human the Asolar simply exploded into a fine mist as his body was rendered down almost to the molecular level. Again the clawing feeling of the Warp caught McKay unaware sapping the hybrid's powers. Another two appeared in bright flashes of purple light weapons in mid swing. The first of the Asolars missed his sword sailing wide decapitating the few Covenanters that had been spared McKay's rampage. The second buried his curved short sword into McKay's side before wrenching it free with a cruel twist.

The wound bled unnaturally a torrent of scarlet rain bursting forth from the wound that the Necrodermis was unable to seal. With a snarl part fear part rage McKay lashed out with the full force of his might. The first Asolar managed to be swallowed back into the Warp in a burst of purple light but the second wasn't so lucky. The scarred and naked man was hit full force by a tear in fabric of reality that scattered his atoms to the very corners of sub-space. A woman adorned in bronze armour and wielding a spear appeared above him thrusting downwards she found herself skewered on a talon of Necrodermis that emerged from McKay's shoulder. With a startled gasp she was torn in two the pieces of her body used as rudimentary projectiles against the three other Asolars that had flashed into existence.

The Covenanters retreated from the battle. Simple knifes and fists were no use when even the Touched were having difficulty fighting this abomination. Another pair of Asolars were annihilated by a Particle Whip but not before they left a wide gash on the things leg and a third was torn limb from limb before she could even act. The berserkers of the Covenant, the Humans that had sailed freely through the Pit, the beings that had communed directly with the Sleeping God paused in their frantic assault. Their foe was wounded and his blood flowed like any mortals but at the same time nothing could withstand so many hits from a Hellblade. Necrodermis limbs of writhing monomolecular blades thrashed through the air covering McKay in a web of near invisible blades. Two Asolars flashed in beside the hybrid only to be instantly cut down but McKay stumbled; his powers finally beginning to wane. Either from the blood loss or the constant exposure to the Immaterium didn't matter the Necrodermis stilled retreating to the main body and slowly all his Necron armaments failed. The three remaining Asolars circled their wounded prey warily; the trail of corpses told even them to tread carefully. Their hesitation was to be their undoing. Gifted an opening McKay gathered himself for another attack. Phasing out he dashed forwards Necrodermis limbs wrapping around the Asolars before they realised what was happening. A resonance wave simple and low powered passed into their still Human bodies and ruptured several arteries in their brains.

The Touched collapsed even the protections of the Sleeping God not enough to ward off this abomination that assaulted them. Fear gripped his heart digging its cold talons deep into his soul as the silver creature reappeared. Eckardt turned to the only source of hope that remained and cast all pride to the wind. "My LORD! Save us! Save ME!" The Governor wailed throwing himself at the feet of the robbed figure.

The Bronze Lord looked down at the snivelling piece of flesh and repressed the urge to spilt him open. "We can do no such thing. Our form has yet to fully leave the Pit." Yellow eyes swung to the Star Vampire. It noted how it had slowed and the aura of its power had faded; it even saw the desperation to feed that would have served them so well. With slight shake of its head in disgust it turned to the Bloodletters. The seven Lesser Daemons trembled at the scrutiny of their Lord and it said. "laghumUlaabhizocana."

Without a single act of recognition they all leapt forward at once their powerful legs carried them over the side of the ziggurat. The Bronze Lord spared the Gifted sacrifice a small glance, it was fascinated to watch the wound slowly begin to heal. A quick search through its being found tiny machines; it purged these oddities with a thought.

The Bloodletters attack all at once. The Daemons born of the will and desire to fight and kill overwhelmed McKay's programmed combat ability almost instantly. With his powers dampened by the ambient Warp energy, in the face of such Warp-spawn he was reduced to physically fending off the attacks which only hastened his defeat. Hellblades tore into Necrodermis at the slightest touch leaving deep gaping wounds in McKay's flesh. The Daemons retreated when a burst of emerald fire arched out from a flailing arm. So slowly it was agonizing to watch the hybrid slumped to his knees his body a patchwork of sizzling Necrodermis and bloody gashes.

'Lillia'. The thought repeated itself through his head echoing in the terrible silence that had descended into his always busy mind. Another Hellblade bit into his arm almost severing the lump of near dead metal but he scarcely felt the tearing of its Immaterium edge. 'I must save Lillia'. The desire consumed his entire being pushing past the haze that clouded his thoughts. A darkness rose up to swallow him as yet another Bloodletter slashed at him it blade slicing open his face.

McKay fell backwards, his world turned to blackness and something took his place. It had existed since the beginning of time. It had witnessed the birth and death of galaxies. It had fed on stars so powerful they burned out in a mere million years. It had sailed the absolute nothingness of intergalactic space. And it would NOT die. Inhuman instinct surged to the forefront. A half-memory of the billowing gasses and endless energy of the new-born universe. A near forgotten understanding of the base forces that governed creation. And the singular drive to exist that had pulled those first few stray particles and energy fields together. That extraordinary need which had birthed all that was C'tan.

Eyes snapped open and the Star Vampire found itself trapped in a strange shell. The brutal Star God instinct discarded the trickle of information that flowed into its mind from its covering. It had hands with which to kill and feed. That was enough.

Another of these burning nothingness came charging in and it caught the thing in its talons. The long face spit in a hiss and a serpentine tongue lashed out at the Star God. It felt a trifling, but perilous, emptiness as the nothing-creature thrashed in its grip but it would suffer no interference. A mouth opened in a billow of steam as the water in its shell vaporised and teeth sharper than an atom grew from the flat metal. The bottom jaw extended so far past its normal limits that even the struggling Bloodletter paused in astonishment. The entire Daemon's head vanished into the Star God's maw and those jagged edges that passed as teeth slammed closed. The Daemon's body was cast aside its structure already fading to nothingness and black ooze. The other Daemons remained at a distance as the thing before them spat out the half chewed head of their brother. Wounds sealed shut in clouds of crackling energy and it's covering of hieroglyphics simplified to a few repeating lines. The Humanoid body rippled and changed becoming more predatory; becoming a better killing tool. Eyes a deep emerald green swept over the hall with a horrible hunger burning in them.

It threw back its head and roared, black ichor dripping from its mouth and talons. The sounds rippled through the air melting metal and flesh and stone until it was surrounded by a near perfect circle of slag. The Star God snapped into a ready position and thrust both its hands at the remaining Covenanters. Misshapen gashes in the palms quivered and a visible wall of distortions raced out from them. The wave of death slammed into the Humans before they could react leaving only the dead in its wake. Blood leaked from every possible orifice as blood vessels ruptured, organs exploded, tissues melted and the nervous system simply died. It was to an eerie silence that a tidal wave of cooling flesh sagged to the ground. There were no groans of pain, no agonising screams, no yells of anger or fear; just silence and death. The Star Vampire gorged itself on the buffet of Human emotions sucking in every last drop of energy. Gently it settled onto its four limbs, huge pseudo-muscles bulging under its silver skin and an array of blades emerging from its back.

The Bronze Lord grunted as the deadly resonance waves slammed against its shield. The Daemon had managed to conjure a defence against the assault at the last moment that had spared it, the Bloodletters and the few Priest on the ziggurat. Lessening the power it was feeding the shield it examined the new situation. "Ah, we have good fortune." The Daemon muttered drawing Eckardt's stunned and terrified gaze. "This is not a Man, this is but the instinct of a Star God. Base instinct is what we know all about." It elaborated, putrid yellow eyes narrowing in delight.

It flickered forward, balanced on three limbs it tore open the stomach of the closest Bloodletter. The Daemon was flung backwards screaming in agony and joy, its body already disintegrating. A spear like tail punched through its elongated skull silencing the Bloodletter. The five remaining Lesser Daemons were already in motion when the puddle of black ichor splattered to the ground. A pair of Hellblades shaped like serrated axes swung at the Star God's midriff. The creature of metal split in two, its upper half folding over and melting into its back as a new torso exploded from its lower abdomen claws outstretched to tear open the Daemons. A lance like Hellblade smashed into the exposed back of the C'tan. With a near ultrasonic screech the creature was slammed into the ground and pinned their by the Daemon weapon. The Bloodletter leapt backwards, a new Hellblade already forming from the massive quantities of blood their foe had so kindly provided. The last two Lesser Daemons swept in their swords poised to decapitate the thrashing Star Vampire. The swords dug two deep strips out of the screaming creatures back as it pulled itself forward its metal body flowing with some difficulty around the lance. The wounds trickled a little blood and sparks of green and white light jumped from around the huge gashes.

A wicked and cruel smile grew on the Bloodletters lips as their foe lashed out at the closest of them again tearing a limb of in exchange for another laceration on its legs. Gone was the intent behind the assault. Gone was the will. All that was left was instinct. An instinct that only reacted never anticipated. Again the creature was caught by the simplest of feints; an arm severed from behind as it chased after another Bloodletter. No matter how powerful it had become, no matter how ferocious it was less than it had been. They could toy with this thing now. Bleed it for all the glorious battle and slaughter it could offer before they ended it.

The Star God lunged forward again arm regenerating in a cloud of green energy and silver. A Bloodletter parried its tail away from its face taking the talons to the abdomen in return for an axe strike to almost cut the C'tan in two. With a wail the creature collapsed to the ground thrashing as Necrodermis bubbled across the wound slowly pulling the two halves together again. The Star Vampire lashed out with a claw, tearing open an overconfident Daemon's face sending the creature screaming back into the Warp. It struggled to its feet only for an axe to slam into its chest burying the weapon's serrated head. A backhand sent the Bloodletter spinning away lower jaw gone but the C'tan stumbled the Hellblade eagerly worming its way deeper into its body. Dark laughter erupted from the remaining Daemons as their enemy swayed drunkenly.

Time slowed not of the C'tan's own will. "Pitiful creature. Tear away the true light that burns you." The voice trickled into the mind of the rampant Star Vampire. A moment's hesitation saw another Hellblade rammed through its chest. The Bloodletter roared in pleasure as its foe sagged slightly on its blade.

With a jerk the hieroglyphs that spiralled across the Necrodermis shell shifted slightly and the world seemed to flee from its baleful gaze. The air rippled with an energy that surpassed the boundary between reality and Warp. The ever shifting currents of the Warp suddenly all changed course, being blasted away from the sphere of un-reality that surrounded the Star Vampire. The closest Bloodletter screamed as its body exploded into ashes and its soul was utterly erased. The other tried to flee only for the wave to overcome them in the blink of an eye. All of the Lesser Daemons were torn from universe and utterly destroyed not even a trace of their essence remaining. The Star God screeched its fury as the hole in the Warp around it finally finished expanding and it felt the familiar comfort of reality reassert itself. With a hiss of anger and regenerating metal it resettled its eyes upon the ziggurat.

The Bronze Lord growled, his glowing yellow eyes narrowing to slits as the void in the Warp slowly closed back up. The all-encompassing nothingness of non-existence sapped at his powers even from this distance. Null Field; a hatful thing. The last of his powers trickled form the Pit just in time to witness the Star God blast through his rudimentary shield. The black orb formed instantly, adopting the shape of his weapon; the shape of its deepest primal essence. The black glaive's shaft met the Star Vampire's lunging clawed hand with such force that both creatures were thrown backwards a crack like thunder resonating through the silent air. The Bronze lord landed nimbly its constantly shifting cloak not even ruffling. The Star God landed in a tangle of limbs bouncing across the ziggurat's flat top.

Eckardt stared at his Lord's weapon the only thing to have stopped the monstrosity. The space black shaft was mottled with lines of shifting colours; a pale fleshy pink, the putrid green and yellow of rot and a red like old blood. The blade was a long and single sided that grew wider towards the curved tip along the back a random pattern of serrated protrusions that seemed to drift on their own accord. Down the centre of the blade gold lines contorted and shifted throwing out ever more nightmarish shapes as the shadows danced across them.

A Priest near the Bronze Lord let out a single quiet whimper. The glaive flashed out too fast for any of them to follow and slashed the man from groin to shoulder. The Priest let out an inhuman scream as instead of fresh red blood dry clotted flakes exploded from the wound. Thrashing in agony the Priest tore open his robs to reveal his skin turning black then flaking away in a cloud of dust. The corruption surged outwards consuming anything that touched the wound. Less than a second later a pile of dust and decaying robes crumpled to the floor. Most of the remaining Priests, except those too terrified to even move, panicked and tried to flee. The Bronze Lord was pleased when the Star God blurred from his vision and these mewling Human pawns exploded in showers of viscera. It didn't matter from where it flowed, as long as it flowed. Only Eckardt remained even remotely lucid, the Governor too shocked to move from his place at the altar.

Yellow met green and the two monstrously powerful beings stared at each other across the short space of the pyramid's summit. The Bronze Lord slid gently up to Eckardt and twirled its weapon, the glaive humming with joy at the prospect of sowing death, to aim the lethal tip at the still gently moving chest of the woman chained to the altar. The Star God paused; a flicker of intent beyond the need to feed and destroy passed through its inhuman eyes. The Bronze Lord allowed a momentary trace of relief to float through its soul before it began tracing Warp runes in the air with its free hand. The gently pulsing symbols of blood floated freely in the air swirling around the Daemon's outstretched arm.

"Stay were you are. Stay perfectly still. Don't even blink." The Daemon growled, chancing a fleeting glance at the hovering runes that were beginning to open the Warp tear. "Blink and she dies." Like it had anticipated the rampaging Star Vampire didn't lunge towards it, instead the creature of metal hissed low and flexed its pseudo-muscles.

With a deafening crack the Warp tear opened into a vortex of pink and purple light interspersed with streaks of multicoloured energy and pure darkness. The few remaining Humans had to hunker down and grab a hold of anything they could to prevent themselves from being swept into the portal by the gale force winds that tore through the now desolated hall. The instant the Bronze Lord took its eyes off the Star God it leapt forward. The Daemon launched its glaive at the Star Vampire but the deadly weapon was pushed aside by an extra limb of Necrodermis that sprang from the creature's side. Twin clawed hands surged forward to tear at the Daemon's helm but it managed to parry the lunge with the shaft of its glaive the force of their strikes shattered the pyramid and hurled them away from each other again. The Star Vampire managed to land with much more grace this time and leapt at its target again but the Bronze Lord had been thrown into the open maw of the Warp tear.

As the Daemon was ripped from reality it left one final taunt for its foe. "If you wish to kill us; loath us, hate us, detest us. Survive in any hideous way you can. Leave a scarlet trail in your wake and cling to this worthless life. And then, one day…" The Warp portal snapped shut leaving the statement unfinished the Bronze Lord unknowingly echoing McKay's C'tan.

The C'tan passed through the rippling air that marked the sealed edges of the Warp tear and landed in a nimble crouch its burning green eyes narrowed in fury. With a jerk it turned towards Eckardt and the Govenor soiled himself. Before he could even draw in enough breath to scream the creature was upon him. A casual backhand send the Governor almost clean off the edge of the ziggurat his flight stopped by the body of a near catatonic Priest and the Star God slowly advanced on its prize.

The Gifted sacrifice's body twitched more furiously Eckardt noted as the Star Vampire shakily reached out to it. The talon hand stopped hovering above the still open and bleeding wound that the dagger had torn in her chest. He could hear the thing growl the sound so low that it hurt his bones to listen as it slowly knelt at the altar of the Sleeping God. Gingerly Eckardt tried to slide across to the stairs and, hopefully, freedom. He froze as a wail of utter defeat assaulted his ears. He slammed his hands against his head in an attempt to stop the pain but knew he was too late when the sickly warm wetness of blood lapped against his palms. Too scared to move anymore and suddenly morbidly curious he whirled round to face the creature. It was kneeing its head thrown back and arms cast wide and it was screaming from its too wide mouth.

The shriek was deafening in fact he was sure that the noise was in his mind his ear drums having long since burst. But it was nothing compared to what was happening before him. It had no colour, no shape, it emitted no heat or light but most of all it just felt wrong. And yet it was so beautiful he couldn't even begin to move his eyes away. The orb of white nothingness hung above the screaming Star Vampire slowly expanding to cover everything. He managed a single startled gasp before the boundary engulfed him. For a moment he had the whole of creation laid out before him. And then his mind shattered from the sheer scope of universe's glory; his body was rendered down into quarks and finally those too broke down into pure energy.

Then, for an instant, a new star was born.

* * *

She poked at the Gold and Silver rations in her tray trying to remove the image of O'Neill slumped in the white glow of the Regenerator as his skin slowly knitted back together. The other Terrans around her were jubilant enough; the green Legionnaires flushed with pride over their first successful operation.

The lights flickered and lighting strips around the wall panels activated basking the room in a sickly green sheen. "**Action Stations. Action Stations**." The deep bass synthesised voice of the _Moon Reader'_s Machine Spirit boomed from the large wall mounted Vox. Beneath it a Hololith burst into life a swirling starscape flashing past."**Pattern Green has been detected at coordinates (259° 16′ 36.5″, −0.2° 2′ 12.3″, 355pc, Pegasus)**." Hailey almost inhaled the spoon she was holding beside her someone started to hyperventilate but she couldn't tear her eyes away from the gently flashing green dot."**All operations are suspended, all leave cancelled, all personnel are to requisition arms and report for immediate combat duty. The MIDNIGHT Contingency is now in effect. The O'Neill Protocols and Special Orders 1, 2 and 4 are now enacted**." You could hear a pin drop in the silence that followed. Then pandemonium exploded in the Mess Hall.

Hailey sat frozen staring at the fading Hololith ignoring the miniature riot around her. A single whispered plea slipped past her lips only to be lost in the angry and fearful shouts that filled the air. "Sir, hurry."


	8. The Defiant Ones

"Normal speech."

"**Gothic**."

"Telepathy."

"_Ship names or written works_."

* * *

starspawn07: Thank you. I didn't place breaks because it was all happening at the same time. It was supposed to make the scenes seemed interlinked and flowing together. I was hoping to cultivate a sense of tension. If that failed then I'm sorry. _To be just, our law must be cruel. _

God: Sad yes, but it will get worse. Much, much worse. _Burn the Unclean with the fires of Purity._

douchiesnaks: Thanks. _The blood of martyrs is the seed of the Imperium._

* * *

**Heresy Through the Wormhole Part 1: This Impure World – ****The Defiant Ones**

* * *

It was a Tuesday. Imperial Year 7 – 366. When the forces of the Adeptus Astartes and the Order of Extermination met in battle for the first time. It was the day that historians – in the years to come – would underline and say: 'here began the Last Great Heresy' and 'here everything changed'. It was an inarticulate distinction; the Ascendancy having long been launching secret attacks upon the Imperium. The field of their battle would be Outpost Sixteen Four on an unnamed, uninhabited planet at coordinates (182° 6′ 6.9″, 22° 18′ 5.5″, 103pc, Milky Way). It was here that Doctor Daniel Jackson and his few brave soldiers would alert the Imperium to the danger in their midst and it was here that the Priors were schooled in their foes' terrible and boundless resolve.

* * *

Doci swept past the bubbling puddle of goo, it was all that had remained when the Orihost learned of the strike force´s first attack results. The unfortunate possessed-Prior had been mostly vaporised by the outburst. Mara could barely restrain a chuckle as the organic soup began to eat into the stonework.

"Too much too fast!" One of the remaining Orihosts snarled, its body wreathed in flames for an instant before it reigned in its temper. Still the walls groaned under the sheer power of its agitation.

"Alteran." The other spat the word like the curse it was. There was a pause while the dark light that poured from their eyes dimmed slightly before the two skeletal bodies turned to watch the retreating back of the Doci. "We have consensus. The rudiments must be prepared."

"What 'rudiments'?" Mara quizzed the two but the Orihosts ignored her in favour of stalking back into the darkness of their underground forges. With a humph of disdain the insane doctor retreated back into her own laboratory to continue her experiments.

Thoughts swirled within the mind of the Doci. The reports on the inadequacies of their Vestments, the diminished performance that Resurrection had on even the Blessed Paladins and the Great Enemy's ever more powerful armaments danced around painting a very ugly picture. It mattered not, he told himself, and these new handicaps would not delay them. All that had changed was the number of Warriors that were going to die.

He was broken from his musings when a fully armoured Warprior stepped out in front of him. The sheet of chainmail that covered the Warprior's face rippled as his head turned to track the white robed Doci. "The last of the Warriors have gathered for your benediction, Lord Doci." He bowed low before sinking back into the shadowy alcove. Doci nodded once in reply and made his way towards the main balcony overlooking the mustering grounds.

The hush was deafening. A million souls all gathered to hear his faintest whisper. It was oddly gratifying. And so he began his reading from the Book of Origin. "Life and death, light and darkness, hope and despair. The rift was created, and on that day, the Ori were born. But the hatred of those who strayed from the True Path festered and bloomed in the dark corners of the Abyss to which they have been cast! And consumed by this hatred, they poisoned all they touched, bringing death, darkness and despair." He closed the Book with a resounding boom that echoed through the plaza.

"Hallowed are the Ori!" Came the response, filled with doubtless faith as always.

Doci nodded, beginning his personal speech. It was necessary that they knew the extent of the Crusade they would fight. "It is this Darkness you Warriors of the Ascendancy shall face. You who are the strength in my arms, the bearers of my dreams; you who are the finest of the Ori's children. The Great Enemy of the Ori will show no mercy in his attempts to tear your soul away from the Path. Thus the meaning of our victory shall not be the defeat of the Great Enemy's armies. No; nothing but his utter destruction!" He bellowed, leaning forward he could feel their zeal boiling over. "The eradication of him from all memory, leaving no remnant of his endeavours, crushing utterly his every achievement and removing from all record his every trace of existence. From that defeat the Great Enemy shall never recover. That will be the true meaning of our victory. Remember well my children; those who are prideful and refuse to bow down, shall be laid low and made unto dust." He paused sweeping the gathered armies with his cold eyes. Tides of virtuous fervour poured into the Empyrean, a wash of swirling colours and patterns that defied description. "Hallowed are the Ori." He whispered only to be near deafened by the manic response. He bathed in the otherworldly lights like in a second sun only visible to his senses.

After the Doci's blessing of the Warriors they were split into their Unions and taken to their Paladin Leaders for the last segments of their training. The final wave of conscripts were to be but through their paces in these few months.

_Shadow of Justice_. A Cruiser some four kilometres long, Iconoclast class. Carrying a Warhost into battle. His ship. Tomin took a deep breath as he followed the beautifully designed curves of the vessel. If only their artisans could be as creative in peace as they were in war. He had been selected to lead one of the first wave Unions. The Prime Warprior had also chosen that moment to strip away almost all of the Warriors under his command and replace them with the newest conscripts. The other Paladin Leaders had taken to calling his Unions the 'forlorn hope'. Luckily he still had time to knock some sense into his Warriors. He knew that not all of them would come home but he would make sure that as many as possible would.

Tomin paced out in front of the Unions under his command. The Orders of Radiance, Ablution and Ruin. Eight groups of fifty Warriors mostly fresh conscripts from the outer worlds. Underneath his helmet he watched a Union of children, most too young to even shave, snap to attention Vestments and Light Bearers gleaming in the midday sun. He quickly repressed the surge of revulsion at the sight. "Gentlemen, I bid you welcome. Welcome to the blood, to the sweat, to the tears." Paladin Leader Tomin stopped pacing and turned to fully face the Unions before him. "Welcome to your places in Ascension."

* * *

The Thunderhawk set down with a clank, as its landing struts bounced on the concrete starpad. The flight to Outpost Sixteen Four had taken the better part of a day, the _Emperor's Light_ dropping back into realspace at a 'safe' distance from the planet's bizarre Warp currents. Mitchel slid back into the oversized seat, his Mind Impulse Unit disconnecting from the Machine Spirit, while the hardwired Servitors at his side stilled their tasks complete. The hatch slid open, with a mechanical groan to reveal the seven passengers in the main compartment. The four Space Marines were snug in their seats, harnesses locked around their black Power Armoured bodies, easily holding them in place during the bumpy orbital insertion. The green uniforms of SG-2, on the other hand were looking thoroughly dishevelled, except for Titov as he always looked that way, their smaller Human bodies being thrown around in the large bucket seats. The orbiting Assailant Frigate, the _Hydra_, had guided them in from lunar orbit, but had resumed geostationary orbit above the newest Imperial Outpost when they broke atmosphere.

"Touch down." Mitchel shouted over the dying whine of the Thunderhawk's huge jet engines. "Everybody move on out." He tugged on a cap and snatched a P-90X from its locker, patting down his webbing absently.

The rear hatch rumbled down on ancient hydraulics, the hermetic seal rupturing with a sharp hiss when the internal and external pressure equalised. They were greeted by medium build man, his forest green fatigues bore the Iron Halo of the H.M.I. and a beige beret rested on his head. The subtle bulges along the chest, calves and shoulders marked him as wearing compressed Semi-Powered Armour, and his rank slide proudly displayed a Captain's stars. A single deckhand rushed past the placid Captain, shielding his face from the miniature dust storm.

"**Captain**." Drago's static ridden voice thundered form the Vox that replaced his voice box. The Captain nodded to the Space Marine, his eyes flickering over superhuman warrior and the many battle scars he bore.

"Sirs." He saluted the Terrans first, then the Space Marines. "Welcome to Outpost Sixteen Four. I'm Captain McLaughlin; Charlie Company, III Battalion, 8th High Mobile Regiment." With the official introductions out of the way Titov stepped in to question the Captain on the disposition of the Outpost's garrison.

"Ah the 8th, that's a Terran Regiment; yes?" The Russian asked.

McLaughlin nodded before he answered. "Yes sir." He tucked his beige beret under his arm, while motioning for the group to walk with him towards the Plasteel and Adamantium block that was the Outpost. "We've got quite a mixture here. We've got some Rangers and Delta Force from the Greater United States. A few more SAS like myself. Spetsnaz and Parachutistes d'Infanterie de Marine from the Eurasian Union_._ And of course, a Platoon of Zhōngguó tèzhǒng bùduì from the Peoples' Republic. Crazy little buggers, if you pardon me saying. Mind you sir; there all proper High Mobile. Good guys to have at your back."

"And the urgent discovery?" Nestor asked. Captain McLaughlin stopped to punch in a code to open the hidden Adamantium hatch.

"While we were setting up base camp we discovered a Stargate – you should know sirs; that no one's been able to dial in yet." He paused to let the door cycle closed behind them before opening the inner hatch. "But the Outpost was constructed over it anyway. And about a hundred meters underground, well sir, we've got… Pattern Gold." He shifted uncomfortably, very aware of the intense stares directed at his back.

"Pattern Gold? As in Ancient? Like active Ancient?" Mitchel questioned the Captain enthusiastically as they entered a large elevator.

McLaughlin gave Mitchel a sour look but answered anyway. "Aye sir. Faint but there, however we can't get to it." He held up a hand to forestall Heathsautis's budding questions. "Some sort of shield keeps disrupting our Beam lock."

"Interesting. Have you begun drilling?" Nestor asked, shooting down Lestain's overzealous questioning with a glance. The Veteran Sergeant was almost as bad as a Martian Priest when it came to archeotech.

"We've started; but it's been slow you know? The demo equipment we have isn't exactly designed for archaeology." McLaughlin shrugged in indifference. The elevator rumbled to a stop, Plasteel doors sliding back to reveal an almost deserted command centre. "I've called off everything but E-tools until you arrived, Doctor Jackson." He continued, motioning the group towards a large Hololith that displayed the excavation.

"Take me there." Daniel almost hissed, his face already buried in his notebook. Titov waved on the Captain and McLaughlin nodded, almost imperceptible to the others, before turning to leave.

Nestor forestalled them with a deep grunt. "Captain, before you go, have any of your men been exhibiting strange behaviour? Our Navigator informed us that the Warp disruptions had worsened since we transited here from Sabatine." The Veteran Sergeant explained, trying to sooth McLaughlin's irritated expression.

"No sir." He exclaimed, a faint hint of fear creeping into his voice. He swallowed heavily, his mouth suddenly dry. McLaughlin's eyes flickered across the group, regarding the four huge Marines longest. "I only received clearance to read the files about this Warp-thing on the way here. Is it… is it… real?"

"Yes Captain. Everything you read is true. You must be vigilant for any sign of taint. We are here to keep watch for any… unusual phenomenon." Nestor said. The Space Marine placed a heavy hand on the Captain's shoulder. He had seen too many good men fall to Chaos over the centuries. He would not allow it to take hold in their new reality.

"Aye sir, I'll keep that in mind." McLaughlin replied. His worried look was replaced with a deep scowl. H.M.I. were an odd bunch at the best of times, but he would be dammed before he allowed any psychotic maniacs lose in his Outpost.

"Um… Daniel, Titov sir… we'll be, eh, patrolling the perimeter." Mitchel offered rather lamely. "Right guys?" He turned on the others, a pleading look in his eyes.

"Yes." They all chorused at once_. _

* * *

"Is this really wise?" The plump Prior asked for the tenth time. The Battleprior groaned in frustration, the mental assault of the disturbed Empyrean and his colleague's constant whining were wearing thin on his nerves.

"The Seers informed me of our mission this morning." He growled, the Blessed Paladins with them in the Celestial Heart hissed in empathy. "We are to proceed to this world, capture the Great Enemy's base and call down the Path of Wrath upon them. The Scryers were most insistent that it be destroyed."

"I know; but these distortions in the Empyrean, they block even the light of the Ori." The Prior replied, his hands worrying his Empyrean Staff at an almost frantic pace. "I do not wish to risk my soul!" He finally blurted out. The elder of the two snorted.

"If it assuages you." He hissed. The sickly sweetness that had plagued his tones and mannerisms since the incident still sent a shiver down the Battlepriors back. "These orders are from the Doci himself!" He finished with a flourish. The younger Prior nodded almost automatically, his hands flying to the Book of Origin at his side.

"I… I will obey." The larger Prior finally consented, his hand tracing the Sygil of Origin over and over again.

"Good." The older Prior smiled. And for some reason, to the Battleprior, it was not reassuring at all.

"Begin the assault." The agitated energy of the Blessed Paladins was finally released and they launched into action far faster than their former, and now mostly deceased, Order crew.

Much like the _Emperor's Light_, and the _Hydra_ before it, _Apocalypse Rising_ was forced to leave hyperspace well outside lunar orbit. A distance, that even the agile Elucidator, would take time to cover. The _Hydra _had the sub-space window on its Auspexes almost immediately, the Frigate placing the planet's satellite between it and this new presence.

An Assailant Frigate had no capacity to berth I-301s but they had managed to bring along a Squadron. Sometimes having the F-302 designed to be moved through a Stargate was very useful. Not that the pilots liked it one bit.

The four I-301As and two Bs that comprised the makeshift Squadron banked towards the new ship. "Tally on bogey. Unknown energy pattern, unknown silhouette… NEW DAWN. I say again NEW DAWN." Nestor narrowed his eyes as the Vox in his ear whispered the Captain's words. NEW DAWN meant this was a first contact situation. But they were in the middle of Imperial Space, surrounded by surveyed Systems for a thousand light-years on all sides. "Transmitting the Greetings Suite." The transmission cut off, the Vox network flooding with a standardised greeting on all known frequencies.

The Space Marines turned as one startling the two remaining members of SG-2. Doctor Jackson had just breached the Ancient chamber, finding a strange laboratory within. "To the command centre. This is too convenient." Nestor growled at the two Terrans, his Power Armour reacted to his agitation by boosting his strides to the point where Mitchel and Peterson had to run just to keep pace.

They arrived just in time to see a scowling Captain McLaughlin activate a truly massive and detailed holo-tank that spanned almost an entire wall. The seconds trickled down as the I-301s closed in on the still accelerating unknown. The Cruiser sized ship was already half the speed of light and was swiftly increasing speed. Suddenly bursts of blue light leapt from the leading edge of the vessel barely missing the I-301Bs. "Frak. Bogey is hostile!" Came the startled voice of the Squadron's Captain. "Closing to engage bandit." The four I-301As shifted from their box formation into a more aggressive diamond.

Six beams of deadly white light slammed into the shimmering blue tinted shield of the hostile ship. The Lascannons raked along the length of the Elucidator while Railguns trailed back and forth illuminating a snaking patter of explosions across the shield. A quintuplet of missiles slammed into the nose of the Ascendancy Cruiser, engulfing elegant ship in Naquadah enhanced nuclear fury for a few seconds. The six I-301s went shooting past the trailing engines of the Cruiser a moment later, Long-Meltas trying fruitlessly to pierce its shield, bursts of modulated energy tracing after them.

"The Light of its Soul has weakened my Lord." One of the few remaining Order crewmen reported. "Our Defenders are too slow to track the Imperial strike crafts." The forward screen darkened for a moment as two plasma torpedoes were launched at the hiding Imperial Frigate.

"It matters not. Forward, take out their vessel." The elder Prior instructed. "We shall deal with these nuisances." He turned to the Battleprior, bowed low and swept from the Celestial Heart his compatriot in tow. They had minds to influence.

"Captain report." McLaughlin's voice was tense as the blips that represented the Outpost's Squadron banked round for another run at the enemy ship.

"Their shields are weakening we're going to hit their engines… what the frak!" The Vox spluttered for an instant. "Emperor save me!" The command centre stilled three of the six fighters veered erratically away from their formation.

"Report!" McLaughlin shouted, hunching over the Hololith. The three erratic I-301As vanished from the holographic display. "Pull back." McLaughlin ordered, the strike craft would be more useful intercepting whatever landing craft the enemy launched. On top of that Frigate would be able to buy precious little time to prepare their defences.

"**Sir, the enemy vessel is moving to an attack vector. The **_**Hydra **_**is matching**." One of the People's Republic non-coms reported. A Squad of H.M.I. in full Semi-Powered Armour came bounding through the room, carrying a trio of Plasma Cannons between them.

"Someone get our Mech-boys working on that Stargate!" McLaughlin shouted at the thinning number of officers in the room. The Outpost's defenders badly needed an exit route.

_Apocalypse Rising _approached the Frigate far more wearily than it had the first time they had engaged an Imperial ship. The little Assailant pumped Heavy Railgun and Plasma Accelerator rounds out at the encroaching Ascendancy Cruiser. The sleek white ship dove and twirled wildly, forsaking returning fire for avoiding the extremely powerful Imperial weapons. With a final twirl the Cruiser unloaded a burst of starfire torpedoes into the Frigate's side. As they accelerated away the Frigate's Plasma Lance flickered across their shields. The _Hydra _accelerated after _Apocalypse Rising_, Pulse Cannon blasts and Heavy Railguns tore into the rear of the vessel.

Just as the stern shields failed, courtesy of the Frigate's two torpedoes, a Plasma Lance shot punched straight through the wing of the Elucidator. Damaged, and with the Frigate almost on top of it, the Cruiser flipped over. The _Hydra _found itself staring down the tubes of _Apocalypse Rising_'s plasma torpedoes. Three volleys of Defender fire raked across the prow shields of the _Hydra _before the strained Void Shield was breached by a full complement of starfire torpedoes. The Assailant was nearly severed in two as the plasma torpedoes tore through its armoured prow and blasted their way through its guts. Tumbling away, main systems failing, it was ignored by the Elucidator. The victorious Cruiser settled into orbit above the Outpost.

"Fire." The six starfire torpedoes were almost instantly lost from sight but the plumes of their impacts were easy to spot. Another volley left the prow of _Apocalypse Rising_ before the first wave of Blessed Paladins teleported down to the planet's surface.

They appeared in plumes of multi-coloured flames, weapons drawn and ready to slaughter. "Threat front! Weapons free!" The Blessed Paladins had enough time to snarl before their bodies were flayed apart under a barrage of Gauss.

The Battleprior bent backwards, a bolt of crackling green energy shaving off some of his chainmail face mask. A beam of blue light leapt from the ugly grey building tearing through another group of Blessed Paladins. Bursts of starfire rained down on them exploding against the ground flinging debris and charred Blessed Paladin through the air. Another volley of that accursed green energy slammed into the reeling Ascendancy forces, felling several more Blessed Paladins and destroying what little cover they had. He watched in detached fascination as the green energy ate away at everything it touched.

"Push forward! We must engage them!" The Battleprior roared over the howling of the Great Enemy's projectile weapons. Huge chunks of earth leapt up turning the air into a dull brow fog as the miniature explosions trailed back and forth. Once again he felt a disruption in the air push him backwards even through boulder he was hiding behind.

Unit 066 roared in fury as Unit 022 was cut in half but a thin blue beam. It fired its Empyrean Bolter at one of the Great Enemy's larger weapons but the Will empowered bolts sailed wide. Another Union of Blessed Paladins appeared in a burst of flames throwing multi-coloured lightening and fire at the defenders. The power dissipated before it reached them but it kept peoples' heads down. Unit 066 sent a pulse through the Empyrean, a Union broke cover only to be cut down by starfire. It snarled, forcing down the disorientation the currents in the Empyrean caused it, and opened fire on the Great Enemy again. A figure fell screaming from the battlements, its form mutating horribly before it landed. Unit 066 snarled slamming home another magazine of rounds.

"Hostiles contained sir." McLaughlin sighed in relief. The enemy seemed to lack any form of long ranged weaponry. But they were packing some weird gear if the reports of rainbow coloured flames and bolts of lightning were anything to go by. The Outpost rumbled again as another barrage of plasma slammed into the Adamantium reinforced upper layers. "Whatever rounds there using, it's tearing up the Plasteel. And our armour does little to protect against the blast... I've never seen shit like this. The whole Outpost is hot sir; we've got a lot of walking wounded here. We could use some reinforcements." McLaughlin nodded, if only to himself, and dispatched the remainder of his forces to the front line.

"**Brother**." Drago growled through his Vox. The Veteran-Sergeant took a step forward, his Bolter already in hand.

"Titov, Captain. We shall join the battle." Nestor rumbled. McLaughlin turned from the holo-tank to thank the Space Marines, but they were already racing from the command centre.

Empyrean Bolters raked the Great Enemy's base, the distorting effects of the Will powered projectiles tearing holes in the grey façade. Several of the heavier weapons fell silent for a moment. Blessed Paladins surged forward a few of the falling to streaks of green but most of them managed to get back into cover before the Great Enemy's larger weapons started to fire again. _Apocalypse Rising_ chose that moment to finally breach the armoured rooftop of the complex. An explosion tore through the right flank of the Great Enemy's soldiers sending several of them flying from their ramparts. White hot flames tore through the corridors of the Outpost, melting the Plasteel into rivers of glowing slag and vaporising the concrete.

"Forward!" The Battleprior roared drawing his Empyrean Blade in preparation. Their enemy was reeling their lanes of fire disrupted. The first two Unions of Blessed Paladins reached the walls only to be cut down by disciplined volleys, but the ones behind them were amongst their enemies all too quickly. The final volley of starfire torpedoes descended on the centre of the building. Punching through the weakened Adamantium they tore apart the levels directly above the command centre.

McLaughlin shook the rumble off his armoured body. Turning to the flickering Hololith he watched as the red dots closed to point blank range and his blue blips began winking out at an alarming rate. "Threat Level Critical. Simmons; get the SGC on the horn. CRIMSON DAWN. I say again CRIMSON DAWN." A pained look flickered across the Captain's face as he turned away from the Hololithic battlefront. CRIMSON DAWN was a first contact gone wrong and called in every available Imperial asset in the Sector down on their position.

Of the three remaining H.M.I. officers in the room two turned to regard the Captain. "Aye sir!" The Sergeant in charge of the Vox replied. He paused a moment as com-chatter filtered through his headset. "Prowlers inbound and ready to push!" The I-301s had finally returned from the battle in orbit.

The Captain's smile was colder than space. "Authorisation for nuke use granted." Simmons stared at his Vox for a moment before relaying the order.

"Indigo One. This is Oscar Sixteen-Four. Nuclear ordinance authorised, danger close. Over." Almost as soon as the words had left his libs the entire building shook. The Naquadah enhanced nuclear missiles detonated a fair distance from the Outpost but the shock waves still rattle their teeth. The faint concert of battle was joined by the hissing whine of Railguns and Lascannons and moment latter.

A young boy of Asian descent came rushing into the room. His Semi-Powered Armour sporting the red stripes on his shoulders marking him as an adept of the Mechanicus. "**Sir, we've got the Stargate operational. But we can only guarantee one dial-out. Whoever encoded it used something far beyond anything I've ever seen**."

"Alright people, let's get out of here." The Captain ordered. The enemy was too powerful at these short ranges. There was little they could do against the unnatural weapons and abilities they were showing.

"Captain! Think about it." Daniel shouted, stopping the Captain in his tracks. "We discover an Ancient site. An active Ancient site. And then suddenly a new enemy pops up from nowhere. Whatever they want it's in there." He gestured forcefully towards the excavation. "We must NOT let them have it." Daniel growled forcefully.

There was a heartbeat's pause before McLaughlin's back straightened and he turned to face Daniel. "I understand Doctor Jackson." He pressed a data slate and a handful of crystals into Daniel's hands. "Go, download everything you can. Then blow the whole thing to Kingdom come. We'll keep an active Vox link with your data slate and update it with all the tactical data we can." The unspoken assumption that no one else would be able to take the data off planet passed between the two of them. Daniel floundered for a moment before the long years of hardships kicked in. With little more than a nod he ran from the room.

"Captain." Titov, Mitchel and Peterson offered a salute before they too left.

"Alright, let's buy them some time. Status!" McLaughlin roared at Simmons. The holo-tank had become too jumpy to follow the brutal room to room fighting.

"The _Hydra_ is zapped sir. Our chicks are all Winchester projectiles. We've lost the main emplacements." The entire room shook violently, sending dust trails sprinkling gently to the ground from the new cracks in the Plasteel and concrete ceiling. McLaughlin slapped the Hololith several times; the tactical display eventually stopped flickering wildly. "Frak. The hostiles are pressing the entire front." He grunted as a several more of the blue blips in the holo-tank vanished. The hastily constructed defensive line shattered like glass.

"All units. Break engagement and withdraw to the command bunker. Oscar Sixteen-Four over." McLaughlin nodded to the other officers. The command centre was designed to act as a last stand before retreating to the Stargate. They could probably hold the enemy here for a little while.

Nestor activated his Vox. Doctor Jackson's assessment was the most probable deduction. So his Brothers would do all they could to weaken the enemy. "Oscar Sixteen-Four. Sierra Mike One, Two, Three and Four will press the enemy's flanks. Wish Doctor Jackson; good luck. Over."

"Sierra Mike One. This is Oscar Sixteen-Four Actual. Copy. Buy us as much time as you can. Over and out." The proud tone of the H.M.I. Captain warmed Nestor's hearts. It was good to see men willing to fight and die for the Imperium. Too many of the Imperial Gate Legion had become complacent during the years of uneasy peace.

McLaughlin hauled up his XM312 taking a firing position behind a holo-tank. "Don't let one of them through." The first figure to appear in the doorway was vaporised in a hailstorm of energy. The heavy weapons opened fire shredding the Plasteel around the entranceway.

"**We cheat Death from his rightful victory**." His men chanted as they gunned down more of the invaders. McLaughlin grinned humourlessly and joined them in the H.M.I. unofficial anthem. "**We shall never be defeated! For we are glad to plunge feet first into the abyss**." The walls exploded. Whatever the enemy were firing laced through the air throwing the Terrans, screaming, form their feet. "**In the knowledge that we will rise**." The white figures waded through the Imperial firepower and combat was joined with blades and fists.

Titov skidded to a halt just before the excavation. Twirling in place he swept the room for the most defendable position. "I shall hold here. Get the data, purge the information and plant the explosives." The Russian shoved several fistfuls of C4 into Daniel's hands. The sound of fighting behind them was growing ever more intense. Daniel nodded and clambered into the elevator.

A trail of mangled bodies lay sprawled behind them. But their enemies were getting better and better at fighting them, almost as if they learned from the mistakes of their comrades. Drago opened fire, the explosive bolts throwing the creature backwards. With a simple prayer Lestain drove his Power Sword through the Warp-cursed thing. Heathsautis fired his Plasmagun down the hallway. The white armoured figure spun away, its shoulder hanging by a few threads of muscle. A bolt round slipped into the hole in the armour and detonated within its chest, spraying the walls with its viscera.

Nestor stepped over the corpse drawing his Chainsword. "**And so we pray.** **Blessed be the God Emperor – our eternal Lord. He; whom is my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight; my hatred, and my zeal; my fury, and my deliverer; my shield, and He to whom I pray; who subdueth my enemies under me. Thus, as battle is joined. Lo, there do I see my Brothers. Lo, there do I see the line of my Geneseed back to the Founding. Lo, they do call to me. They bid me, take my place among them in the halls of Emperor where the faithful may live forever. ****The Emperor protects**!" The deep bass voices of the Space Marines seemed to shake the walls.

"**Brothers. Another hostile force is approaching**." Drago rumbled, reattaching his bleeping Auspex to his waist.

Seven of the false Astartes burst through the doorway. Lestain severed the head of the first in a single stoke. Nestor and Drago gunned down two more liquidising their bodies inside their armour. Heathsautis blasted a hole through the chest of another with a ball of plasma. One of the creatures levelled its imitation Bolter and opened fire. Lestain stumbled clutching at the stump of his arm. The wound was spraying blood relentlessly and the mangled wreck of his Power Sword tumbling to the ground. Two sprang forward even faster than the Marines could react. A hailstorm of bolts tore into them dropping the creatures instantly. A third lunged over its shredded compatriots a long curved blade reared back.

Heathsautis took the strange blade to the chest. His Power Armour exploded into a cloud of vapour, molten Ceramite pouring down his exposed skin. With a roar the creature drew the sword across the Space Marine's chest. His solid ribcage folded open exploding into shards of bone. With a low groan, Heathsautis collapsed his organs shredded by the Warp energies and bone fragments. Nestor let lose a pained roar. Leaping over his falling Brother he drove his screaming Chainsword through the things head.

The last of the creatures reared backwards, flames igniting in its hands. Lestain pushed Nestor out of the way just as the stream of black flames engulfed him. The Space Marine screamed at the top of his enhanced lungs as the fire ate away his flesh. With one final burst of energy he rammed into the Blessed Paladin, the frag grenades at his waist detonated, practically severing them both in half.

"**Withdraw to the command centre**." Nestor growled. Turning he and Drago ran towards the fading sounds of Gauss Pulse Rifles and Bolters.

The room was a charnel house. The H.M.I. had committed themselves to the position and had carried out an impeccable holding action. But they were no match for the Psyker powers of their foes at close range. The Terrans had all died with their backs to the Stargate. Kicking over one of the dead white creatures Drago motioned towards the far hatch. The Adamantium doorway had been breached; obviously the enemy were heading towards the excavation. Nestor sighed, pushing the warped remains of McLaughlin of the holo-tank he was slumped over. The Veteran Sergeant had tried to activate the device. Before the Hololith started the crack of displaced rubble reached their Lyman's Ear. Spinning the two Marines were met with a cloud of crackling energy coming towards them.

Drago was hit in the face by the lightning blast. His Vox gave a high pitched squeal as he fell backwards. Nestor turned blasting apart the wall were the fork came from. The white armoured figure vanished through a doorway, after a moment Nestor left through another doorway. He planned to make these Warp creatures pay for the crime of their existence.

The sound of fighting had lessened in the last few seconds and Titov knew that was not a good sign. A figure appeared in the doorway, its white armour dented and pockmarked. A Vibrosword was buried in its side; before the creature could level its strange gun at him Titov unloaded most of his clip into its face. Another one appeared taking the hastily thrown plasma mine to the midsection. Clear for a moment he pressed his hand to his comm-bead, trying to overcome the static.

"Doctor Jackson you must come NOW!" Titov screamed. The enemy was about to overrun their position and there was precious little he could do to stop them.

"Not now. Some one's got to stay and make sure this entire data base is purged." Daniel shouted down his comm-bead. Already thousands of terabytes worth of data had been lost to the ether and his erasure was going through the Ancient crystals nicely. "Get that to Stargate Command!" Daniel bellowed jumping between the Ancient data banks making sure they were set to blow.

"It was a pleasure." The Russian said. Even across the static ridden Vox his defeated tone was clear. Daniel snorted in disbelief.

"I'm not dead yet! I'll be right behind you." He shouted back. Titov offered a humourless chuckle before he ran towards the Stargate's bunker.

The Ancient computer gave a tired sigh and suddenly went dark. Daniel slapped the last block of C4 directly onto the main crystals and turned to leave. A group of four white armoured figures dropped from the shaft, landing with heavy thuds that dented even the Ancient stone floor. Daniel backed up pulling free his side arm and emptying the clip into the closest one's face. The thing stumbled backwards as the magazine slid out. Before Daniel could replace it the other three fired.

The Empyrean Bolter's effects tore open his Unpowered Armour, ripping out his guts and severing the better part of his spine. Daniel slumped to the ground, his hand futilely trying to stem the river of vermillion that poured from his stomach. "Sorry Jack; looks like this time it's for keeps." The C4 detonator made a very satisfying click in his hand and then his world exploded into light and heat and pressure.

Titov arrived to find Mitchel clutching the stump of an arm, his Semi-Powered Armour drenched in the blood pumping from the wound. Said limb was flopping on the ground several feet away, miniature replicas of itself emerging across its paling skin. A pile of two white figure lay sprawled out in the entrance way that lead back to the Outpost.

"Where's Peterson?" Titov asked dragging Mitchel towards the DHD. Luckily no one had shot it. Yet.

"Over there." Mitchel mumbled. Titov glanced up, only to see a pile of black ash in a corner. With a sigh he stuffed the data slate and crystals into Mitchel's webbing. "Where's everyone?" Mitchel whispered his face turning blue. The Stargate burst into life on his second attempt at dialling. Titov grabbed Mitchel and moved towards the Gate as fast as he could.

"No one else's coming." Titov replied just before they entered the event horizon.

Nestor flipped the huge white figure over his large shoulder, forcefully stamping on its head. A very gratifying crunch resounded from under his boot as he parried away another of the creature's swords. He remembered the effect they had on Heathsautis and stayed as far away as possible. A quick prayer for forgiveness to the Machine Spirit of his Chainsword allowed the weapon to roar into action despite the damaged it had taken from just touching their weapons. The serrated blade descended on the enemy's neck. The monomolecular teeth took a moment to find purchase on the thing's high collar but they chewed through the armour and bit deep into its neck.

One creature came in low, its blade digging deep into the thinner armour across his abdomen. With a roar Nestor slammed the things head into his knee shattering its jaw. The white armoured creature stumbled backwards only to be thrown backwards by a burst of Bolter fire. Ripping free the cursed sword he allowed the chems and his superhuman physique to dull the pain. With a Litany he severed an arm from another creature while blasting off the legs of another. A false Bolter opened up and he was spun into the wall, his right pauldron a ball of twisted scrap. The burning, Warp tainted, fragments buried themselves into his face blinding him in one eye. With a grunt he surged to his feet to meet the next wave.

He backhanded another mock Space Marine into a wall, his Bolter emptying three full bursts into its face. A sword slammed into his power plant, the pommel of his Chainsword slammed into the thing's blue tinted eyepiece. It reared back howling in pain and his combat knife slid into the thing's neck. The venerable Spirit of his Power Armour gave one last valiant burst of energy, allowing him to snap the neck of another creature, before it succumbed to its wounds. Nestor slumped against a pile of rubble; his Larraman cells seemed unable to stem the flow of blood. With a groan he felt a rush of chems and let the medical facilities in his Armour take over.

The Prior stumbled through the corridor following the trail of dead Blessed Paladins. Nestor was awakened from the beginnings of his artificial coma by the sensors of his Armour. Instantly he was alert and, thanks to his medication, mobile. The pale fat man standing over the creatures he had defeated was muttering in some unintelligible language. With a surge, that sprayed blood from between his fingers, he lunged forward inactive Chainsword coming down on the man's head.

The Prior sensed the intent before Nestor even moved but he was far too slow to bring his Will to bear on the Glasya-Labolas. The toothed sword slammed into the joint of his neck and shoulder. It bit deep, sawing through his collar bone before lodging its self in his ribs. The two stared at each other for a moment before the Priors milky white eyes almost popped out of his head when the Chainsword finally screamed into life. Nestor pulled down with all his might, the screaming sword finally sputtering out somewhere in the Psyker's enormous gut. The Space Marine staggered backwards, he watched the life fade from those inhuman eyes with a deep satisfaction.

Lightning slammed into the half dead Veteran Sergeant. Nestor was thrown against the wall a hole blasted in his chest. With a growl he watched as another of these strange Psykers, this time in armour, wandered into his sight. Behind him followed another robed figure, this one untouched by the battle. He felt revulsion rise in his soul at the sight of the sorcerers.

He spat at the Emperor's enemies, the blob of acid barley missing the armoured one's feet. The pain had all blurred together and his zealous fury overrode even the hole in his chest. "**You will pay! You will pay, for your crimes against Terra. We will fight you with ships, we will fight you with tanks and guns, we will fight you with knives and clubs, and our bare hands. We will fight until not one of us remains! We will drown you in your blood and sweat and tears. These are His word. Now flee heretic; run and tell your masters that we are waiting. You will pay for every meter with a hundred thousand souls until the stars themselves burn OUT**!" The last of his strength was leaving him now. Darkness clouded his vision but he would be dammed to the Warp before he gave into them.

The elder of the two stepped forward, a sneer threatening to break his face. "Who are you to defy the word of the Ori?" He snarled. "You will all burn. Burn, for your sins." He hissed at the Space Marine leaning in closer to taunt the dying heretic.

"If you expect me to beg." Nestor spat again this time he managed to singe the hem of the elder's robes. The pasty man raised his staff with a hiss and slammed the bejewelled tip into his chest. "**The Emperor protects**!" He roared as a concussive wave passed through his body destroying most of his organs.

The Prior took several deep breaths to suppress the darkness that now resided in his soul. Turning to the Battleprior he put on his best calm charade. "See, even these... abominations. These, Glasya-Labolas fall before us. Worry not, that our brother has fallen. For his sacrifice shall be rewarded by the Ori. Come, let us finish purging this ugly little planet and be done with it." He turned to leave, when the Battleprior did not follow he placed a hand on the young boys armoured shoulder. "Put aside your fears over this, things, ranting. It meant nothing. He was nothing. Forget about him." With that he strode off head held high, following the Empyrean presence of the Blessed Paladin.

The Battleprior looked down at the empty armoured shell and the black ash rolling out of it. Still he felt a shiver of fear claw its way down his back. For here lay a man that had killed a Prior; the chosen of the Ori. Here lay a man that had slaughtered the Blessed Paladins as if they were cattle. A man that had died with his weapon in his hands and the name of his god on his lips. A man that was utterly unconquerable to the very end. Fearless, daring, merciless, unyielding; greater than any mortal man.

He turned, following after the Prior, but his mind was still fixated upon the vehemence of these Space Marines. And the three hundred more that lay in wait amongst the stars. "Were it so easy…"


	9. And Hell Followed With Him

"Normal speech."

"**Gothic**."

"Telepathy."

"_Ship names or written works_."

* * *

'The Benevolent Scriber': No we are not. I wanted to establish fairly early (if eight chapters in is considered early) that people can die. Hopefully it will add to the realism and tension of the Last Great Heresy.

The Sons of Sol have begun recruiting. In fact they started shortly after signing their first treaty with Earth. But it takes a several years to create a Neophyte never mind an Initiate. Helios was one of the first children found in this reality and passed through the implantation procedure very quickly thanks to a little help from the Second Imperium's Genetors. Like it says in _That Long Black Cloud_ he's the first they could safely let out. Numbers will be a big problem for the Sons of Sol throughout the entire conflict; especially when faced with their Ascendancy counterparts, who will very quickly reach Chapter strength.

Space Marines stick hard with tradition. The six years since the end of the Replicon War is barley a blink of an eye to them. The original three teams of 'Warhammer' Neophytes are still Scouts because they are still needed as Scouts. When enough 'Stargate' Neophytes are ready then they will become full Battle Brothers. Quality is the hallmark of an Astarte. Trying to rapidly produce Marines can have disastrous effects that can cripple or destroy entire Chapters. After all: Know the Mutant Kill the Mutant. Gene-Seed is fairly abundant amongst the three Companies, who still number about three hundred. Before their transplantation the Sons of Sol were not facing a shortage of Battle Brothers so most of them still hold their Progenoids. It takes a decade for the organ to mature so they won't have them until long after the war is over. On this note they only let the Mechanicus confirm the purity of their genome; Angelus has categorically banned any attempts to replicate the Emperor's Divine Works. Nestor being some six hundred years old had long returned his Progenoids to the Chapter. _Ignorance is a virtue. ._

Starspawn07: I thank you. The show had such potential with the Ori but all they did was rehash the Jaffa. Which was a bit of a shame. That's the feels I was going for with the Blessed Paladins; they're supposed to be this universes version of Chaos Space Marines just under the thrall of the Ori.

Again thank you. The curbstomp actually stopped round about the introduction of the Replicons because I decided to bring in some newer ideas I had. And look where we are now, some half a million words later. It was only recently when I was going over my notes that I discovered I had written a small thesis marrying the fluff of both universes. Then there are all the weapons, ships, backstories and vehicles I've made for both sides. It's nice someone noticed. The deaths of main characters may still happen, but just like this time it'll come right out of left field, however it won't happen again for a while.

I hope you enjoy. The Sons of Sol, being a "conglomerate" successor Chapter of the Blood Angels and Imperial Fists, don't really have a singular Primarch like other Chapters. They look to both Sanguinius and Dorn as father figures and saints, with a lesser emphasis placed on the other Primarchs as well. _Thought begets Heresy; Heresy begets Retribution. _

GBscientist: Behold my evil and despair! I warned everyone at the very beginning that anything could happen. Anyone can die and anyone can win. Just like real life.

Thanks and I hope you continue to enjoy. _Death is only the beginning._

Andy-025: Thank you for the support. As I said in the PM feel free to begin a TV Tropes page, I would be most honoured.

I actually had something similar planned for that but not for O'Neill. But I can adapt. _Pain cleanses the Body, Prayer the Mind._

God: Just wait and see. _Everything ends._

* * *

**Heresy Through The Wormhole Part 1: This Impure World – And Hell Followed With Him**

* * *

"Some of the ships are half the Segmentum away now." The Navy Colonel withered under Teal'c's glare. "Local Taskforces are already moving to intercept and destroy." He quickly amended, widening the Hololith to show the fleeing red dots being run down by the pursuing Imperials.

"As the largest fleet in the area, T-33 is going into the Kelkean System first under the O'Neill Protocols." Hailey said, nodding to the holographic Teal'c. "The Walha Sector Fleet has already instigated the MIDNIGHT Contingency. We've locked down the entire Sector and accounted for all of the traffic leaving the Kelkean System in the last week." The Terran Representative nodded towards the holo-tank, the system reacted to her commands and zoomed in on Kelkean.

"Over the last two hours we've determined that Pattern Green…" Haley stopped when the _Moon Reader_'s Bridge officers all straightened and saluted the door behind her.

"Did someone say Pattern Green?" Haley spun, a gasp escaping her lips when she saw O'Neill limping further into the Bridge. DeWyman was behind him, the clone looking torn between helping and dragging his boss kicking and screaming back to the Sick Bay. "Well?" O'Neill snapped, glaring down at the entire Bridge. Gone was the goofy young man she had come to know and in his place stood a cold, merciless, killer.

"Yes sir!" The _Moon Reader_'s Colonel yelped. "We've…" She was cut off by a swift hand motion from O'Neill.

"The MIDNIGHT Contingency?" Haley nodded as O'Neill finally reached the Hololith. "Casualties?" Haley was too busy staring at the red, rawness, of his exposed skin to answer. Luckily one of the Bridge officers stepped in.

"Six Free Traders resisted attempts to board them… they were all destroyed. Four are still under pursuit." He flinched when a, too, pink hand slammed into the Hololith, making all the images flicker.

"Not good enough!" O'Neill spat. "Teal'c I want to go in first." He growled, levelling a dark stare at the Sector Commander. No one even bother to comment on the Representative's overly familiar address to their commanding officer.

The Jaffa didn't move for a moment. He regarded the glowering clone; the, almost, erratic spasms of his muscles and the deep hatred that ran through his eyes were disturbing. Another second passed before he nodded. "Very well. The _Moon Reader_ Squadron shall lead the offensive." A round of agreement echoed from the other holographic officers. None of them dared to meet the eyes of seething clone.

O'Neill sagged the moment the Hololith deactivated. "Sir!" Hailey squeaked when he all but fainted over it. DeWyman clicked his tongue and leapt forward to O'Neill's aid.

"Leave me." He muttered. Pushing himself up, he turned toward the Lantean Control Chair. "Colonel, take us in." He sagged into the chair, letting his mind drift upon the currents of solar wind should dull the pain for a while. Hyperspace enveloped him like a comforting blanket a moment latter.

* * *

The _Moon Reader _and its Squadron dropped back into realspace almost at the very edge of the Kelkean System. "**Collision alert**!" The Machine Spirit of the _Moon Reader_ boomed the instant they exited hyperspace. The Destroyer dove hard to avoid a massive asteroid, the entire crew gasped when the lump of rock finally cleared their line of sight. A storm of debris, stretching as far as the eye could see, was hurtling towards them.

Haley tensed every single one of her muscles as a chunk of rock, still molten on one side, went screaming past the ship. The Destroyer rolled over another fragment, barely dodging the molten lump. Again a piece of debris, this time the size of a small moon, came hurtling towards them. A flash of light to their port saw another chunk being vaporised by a Plasma Lance. The shields slowly turned opaque as more and more micrometeorites slammed into them. With a lurch the Destroyer flipped over another chunk of rock, barley dodging its molten tail.

"Where the hell are we?" The Colonel screamed. The navigation system was going haywire and their Machine Spirit seemed caught in some logic loop. The entire ship lurched as their powerful engines suddenly threw them sideways.

"Unknown!" Someone yelled over the scream of the inertial dampeners, with a groan of metal they we're all flung in the other direction. "But I want to leave."

"Auspexes!" The Colonel shouted, she was almost flung form her seat when a lump of asteroid slammed into the _Moon Reader_'s shields. With a start the Destroyer was send tumbling for a moment before it realigned itself. "Somebody tell me what the yotz is going on! I'd rather not get fragged by a bit of wriphen rock!"

There was a moments silence as the crew adjusted to their Colonel's unusually… colorful orders. "No transmissions or energy patterns." The officer made a strange gurgling noise before he continues. "Kelkean is gone! I'm reading a major shift in solar luminosity. We're getting no contacts from ANY celestial bodies. No planets… no asteroid belts… no gas giants… no anything. I'm seeing nothing but the outbound wave of debris." Even the wailing dampeners seemed to shut up as the sheer scale of destruction began became apparent.

"Get me a read out on the star! Did it go nova?" The Colonel ordered, the larger pieces of rock were slowly being replaced with smaller chunks that their shields could actually handle.

"Unknown… I, I just can't account for this." The helmsman replied. Several officers were having a hushed conversation; they were all hunched over a terminal pointing at something on its readout.

"Report." The Colonel barked. The four officers leapt in place, a sheepish look on their faces.

"We've detected the residual Energy Pattern. It's Green but with interference similar to Gold or Yellow, but with a few substantial differences."

"The Zerfàrim? Here?" Walha or Halcyon were much closer and bigger targets; and, as far as they knew, the Zerfàrim didn't have anything on such a strategic scale. Nor the inclination to build it. Another tremor rocked the _Moon Reader_; the lights flickered for a moment as power was diverted to the Void Shields.

"No ma'am, it's definitely Zero Point… but not like anything we've seen before." One of them gave a shrug. "We can't seem to localise the source."

So embroiled in the discussion Hailey flinched when O'Neill snapped upright, an intense look on his face. "There." He muttered, instantly the Machine Spirit complied by throwing up a holographic image of seemingly empty space. Before anyone could comment the image jumped. In its place was a perfect silver sphere, hanging roughly where Kelkean had been. "We've just found our Pattern Green." O'Neill gave a defeated sigh; he fell back into his chair with a groan. At least it wasn't Replicons; he managed to stop himself muttering. Suddenly Haley was acutely aware of how haggard and unwell he looked. The frantic, murderous, energy had left him and now he was just a seriously injured man.

"But the System…" The Colonel started, turning to face the Representative.

"We'll ask McKay about it when we pick him up." O'Neill replied with a grunt. He had been there at the Battle of Mars; he had seen just what that 'man' could do. But whatever had happened, he was sure it was going to bite him in the ass. Soon. "And he better have a fucking good reason for eradicating this system." O'Neill growled. It was only now that they were able to see the small, ruby red, orb that replaced Kelkean's deadly sun. What had sent McKay so far off the deep end that he zapped the entire System, and blew enough mass off the star to change its colour?

"Sir!" O'Neill's attention was dragged back to the present. The silver Necrodermis orb was twisting violently; against the red star you could see a black fog beginning to engulf it. Suddenly the entire thing vanished as if it had never been there.

There was a crack like braking glass. And suddenly a darkness, more like the utter absence of energy, erupted in the middle of the Bridge. It flooded outwards carrying a distinct cold edge that seeped into the deepest, darkest, parts of the mind. Just as the oppressive wave swept over the heads of the crew, plunging them into a nightmarish hell void of all their senses, it vanished as if had never existed. Several startled cries or pitiful whines floated through the air as the crew found they could see and smell and hear and touch again. It was then that they saw the pair that had teleported onto their ship.

He was just as he remembered him. Atlantis uniform, burning green eyes, aura of death, half naked woman in his arms…well actually that part was new. At least the naked part. Several gasps escaped from the crew when it finally registered the amount of blood that covered the two of them. At least now they knew what set McKay off.

O'Neill blinked stupidly. It wasn't every day that two blood soaked people, one half naked, just teleported onto the Bridge of a shielded ship. "Oh." He quickly regretted making a sound when McKay's bionic eyes snapped to him.

"Atlantis." He hissed, his voice more like rubbing metal than actual words. "NOW!" The entire Bridge shook violently. Conduits exploded, lights died, main systems failed and someone fainted.

And then he was gone. A garbled report from their Apothecarion about darkness and lightning filtered in a moment latter. O'Neill pinched his nose, severely regretting it a moment later when his face felt like it was on fire again, and turned to face the Colonel.

"Set course for the Lantea System. I'll go clear it with Sector Commander Teal'c." O'Neill ordered, carefully climbing out of the Control Chair. Better to do what the man who just blew up a System said.

Haley leapt from her seat and grabbed a hold of O'Neill's arm. "What about Doctor McKay?" She demanded. O'Neill turned back to regard her, he himself wasn't too sure how to handle the good Doctor. What he the frak were you supposed to DO to a man-god-thing?

He sighed, shooting the Colonel a glance that sent the woman scrambling to get their Squadron moving. "Well take him back to Atlantis and… do something sciencey to him." He shrugged, he was sure some egghead would have some shiny doohikey that could contain McKay. Then they would figure out just what in the name of the Emperor actually happened.

Haley seemed dumbstruck for a moment before she puffed herself up. "But they were innocents down there!" She yelled, unable to reconcile the idea of genocide with O'Neill's apparent indifference.

O'Neill sized her up for a moment. They needed more information before they did anything drastic to McKay; but for now he would settle for being flippant. Because that 'always' worked. "Haley. You know the Space Marines have a saying?" He didn't give her time to answer before turning away. "**There is no such thing as innocence, only varying degrees of guilt**."

* * *

"I'm telling you to let me go!" Vala screamed, thrashing against the Jaffa that practically held her off the ground.

"Just stop already." Anise muttered. "We all saw. The MIDNIGHT Contingency is in effect. We're just lucky that they didn't blow us out of space." The Tok'Shek made a whimpering noise and let her head fall into her hands.

The Jaffa dropped the Free Trader on the Plasteel bench. He turned, without a word, and left the cell. Vala glared spitefully at his back before giving up with a huff and a childish pout.

"I must say, this is kind of nostalgic." Nioskop muttered, patting the Armaplas walls almost fondly. "Just like Hel." Chaka made an amused rumbling noise before returning to… whatever involved him trying to start a fire.

"Emperor dammed clones." Vala growled. Now was not the time for her little makeshift crew to go all crazy on her. Although that was debatable with Nioskop and Chaka didn't speak so much as growl and hiss. She missed her usual bunch of backstabbing idiots damn it!

Teal'c would never admit it to anyone, but he had felt rather ill when he first read the information on Section 10. Imperial Interplanetary Peacekeepers' Anti-Immaterium Incursion and Human Weapon Development – Section 10 – Codename: Horus. To be the Imperium's secret sword and shield against the denizens of the Warp they had dove into the darkest depths of insanity. The entire Section was devoted to studying and developing ways to combat, what the Marines termed, the Ruinous Powers; at the expense of all else. Ritualistic suicide was endemic throughout the Section; for when they felt they had fallen too far from His Grace they destroyed themselves before succumbing to the temptations of their namesake. Above and beyond everyone not on the Imperial Senate, knowledge of their existence was only kept in a few hard-copies on Revanna. Everything and everyone else was erased.

Marshal Jacob Carter and Selmak had created Section 10 after reading the reports surrounding the NID's disastrous abduction of Cerberus. To this day Teal'c still felt that he didn't fully understand just how close to eternal torment he had come. In the opinion of the former First Prime the things that they had done in pursuit of their goals were beyond barbaric. But then how else did you fight a being, literally, born of hatred and pain? Arriving at the door, he tried to fix the knowledge that the child he was here to order to his, probable, death was nothing more than a living weapon. Somehow, every time he tried, the image of Rya'c as a Serpent Guard dying on some forgotten planet popped into his head.

Sector Commander Teal'c entered the room with a nod to the guard. He ignored Vala's bombardment of questions, Anise's pleading looks and the crisp salutes of Chaka and Nioskop. Instead he focused on the dark bundle of shredded robes in the corner. "Cain Inthema." The blob of cloth shifted and a pale faced teen appeared from within. "You are hereby ordered, under the authority of the Supreme Commander and the Marshal, to report to the _Flower of Carnage_ where you will be taken, under escort, to the Lantea System." Turning to 'their' Free Trader, he inclined his head ever so slightly. "Vala Mal Doran, congratulations. You've just volunteered for the Navy. Good Luck." With his piece said, Teal'c strode from the room without a backwards glance.

"Hey wait! I never...!" Vala screamed indignantly at the Jaffa's back until the Plasteel door slammed shut "Hey! I want more money!" She stamped her foot when no one answered. After trying to burn a hole in the wall with her glare she returned to pouting.

"Yay! I outrank you!" Nioskop shouted happily.

"Shut up." Vala snapped; she would be dammed before someone could outrank her on her own ship. Anise made a small whimpering noise from within her hands but no one was paying that much attention to her.

Less than a standard hour later they had been practically kicked off the Battleship that had picked them up. The _Flower of Carnage_ made the return journey to Kelkean in silence. Vala was too busy brooding to start a conversation and no one else on the crew cared to break the unnatural hush. The newly conscripted Free Trader and her Chariot had been given an Imperial Navy IFF that allowed them to bypass the patrols without delay. Cain had locked himself in a room for some reason or another, but since this was all for him everyone just assumed it was important. With nothing to slow them down they hit the edge of the Kelkean System forty minutes later.

The _Flower_ dropped back into realspace under the guns of what appeared to be an entire Sector Fleet. Vala swore she saw a Dreadnought floating at the edge of the formation. The face of a young woman flashed into existence on the largest screen. The Navy officer scowled at the sight of the Free Trader but continued regardless. "EN _Flower of Carnage_.This is SNI _Moon Reader_. Hold station and prepare to receive passengers." The woman made a move to cut the channel.

"Who's coming over?" Vala asked quickly. Mostly out of curiosity, but also just to annoy the Navy.

The _Moon Reader_'s Colonel took a deep breath. It was unusual to be questioned so directly. "Rodney and Lillia McKay. Representative O'Neill will be joining you to ensure that Arx Inthema is properly briefed." Once again moving to cut the Vox channel she was interrupted by Vala.

"Why's that little boy… what do you mean McKay? As in the Left Hand of the Emperor?" Vala squeaked at the very idea of that killing machine being on her ship. Before the Colonel could answer Vala held up her hand to stop her. "Wait, wait. Did you say O'Neill, as in THE O'Neill?" The Imperial on the other end of the Vox nodded, slowly. "That's it, I give up." She dusted herself off with a regal air and turned, striding form the Bridge chin held high. She was not dealing with the 'Hero' of the Imperium and his pet monster. "Nioskop… no Chaka you're in charge. I'm going to bed." She called over her shoulder. The utterly confused look on the Imperials' faces was worth putting up with them.

"Sucks to be her, I guess." O'Neill muttered from behind the Colonel. Loading McKay onto a Chariot that, if the need took him, he could blow up without too much hassle for the Imperium was not one of his brighter ideas. But having a Psyker on the same ship meant the two could slug it out without vaporising the _Moon Reader _or her Squadron. Six hours to Lantea, assuming nothing happened, and then McKay would be all Weir's problem. Again.

Now. How to coax McKay into a Beaming station?

* * *

The Vox crackled and the voice of Captain Yamato hissed from the small box. "Atlantis. This is ODG Hotel. Emergency medical convoy voidside. Request permission to reactivate Sub-Space Distortion Field. Over."

Since Teal'c's rather rushed Vox she had been waiting with baited breath for this call. "ODG Hotel. Atlantis here." Weir stood from her desk, this was a moment she had long been dreading. "Go ahead and thank you. Over." With a deep breath to steel herself, she headed towards the Beam-in point for the Infirmary.

The small alcove had the standard protection like those in Stargate Command; but just in case there was a double line of Legionnaires, holding every single weapon known to Imperial science, standing between Weir and the Armaplas doors. Sheppard and Zelenka were standing by with something the Czech had created. Most of it was not even vaguely understood, even by her, but they had altered the device used to capture energy creatures to affect a C'tan. Hopefully incapacitating or at least distracting McKay. Somewhere in the background Beckett was hovering at the entrance to Infirmary, a full crash team arrayed around him.

The signature hum and flash of light deposited the little group in the Adamantium and Armaplas box. After a moment the security system allowed them to pass into Atlantis proper. McKay strode out first green eyes ablaze with a deep, seething anger. Behind him was O'Neill, a small Pacis Arx and a handful of Legionnaires that looked very uncomfortable. Weir suppressed a gasp when she saw Lillia. She was cradled in McKay's arms; an I.G.L. jacket had been slung over her shoulders but no one had dared try and remove her from him.

"Weir." O'Neill nodded at the Governess, motioning for the defence teams to stand down. A few relieved sighs escaped the Atlantis Legionnaires before they holstered their weapons.

"Colonel." She was interrupted as Beckett came rushing forward using a gurney as a makeshift battering ram.

"Oh my God! What happened?" Beckett surged forward a hand already waving to his nurses. "Can you tell me what happened?" He asked, gingerly trying to take the unconscious and half naked woman from McKay's arms. A little to everyone's relief he let Lillia be taken from his arms. The medic that tried on the _Moon Reader_ was still in the Regenerator.

Placing the unresponsive woman on the gurney he began ordering his staff around as they wheeled her into the Infirmary. McKay followed after them with Sheppard and Teyla flanking him.

"So what actually happened?" Zalenka asked O'Neill as the corridor cleared, Weir hung back to hear the clone's answer.

"Not a clue. Not Replicons, so I'm happy." O'Neill replied with a shrug. He had a feeling he would be deflecting questions for a while. Weir internalised her groan, how could one man be so aggravating? With a huff she drifted into the Infirmary to watch Beckett fly around the room shouting at people.

"I see." Zelenka murmured, wandering into the Infirmary muttering to himself he managed to walk straight into a bed. Thankfully no one was watching.

Beckett slowly came to a stop. The crash team that he had been hollering at were all standing around looking sheepish. Finally slowing down enough to recognise that Lillia wasn't in any sort of immediate danger, just unconscious, he relaxed. Given all the hoo-ha he had expected her to be on Death's door. Strange, but good. Checking one more time that all her vitals were perfectly normal, he decided to look at rest of the rag-tag group.

"Alright… she seems stable. Now…" He turned away from Lillia's bedside intent on examining Rodney and then the young Arx.

The hand was around his neck before he could blink. With a snarl McKay lifted him off his feet, easily holding him above his head. "Fix her." The hybrid hissed at Beckett, his voice a mismatch of pitches and tones.

"Rodney…" Teyla began, only to receive a deadly glare in return. Beckett continued to squirm, desperately trying to detach himself from the metal limb.

There was a click and a ruffling of cloth. Suddenly the wounded little Pacis Arx was in front of Teyla, a small block of Plasteel held in his hand. Cain didn't miss the way those ringed eyes instantly dropped to regard his Immaterium Blade. Good he thought, that meant the hybrid might be aware of his abilities without the need to vocalise them. "Release the good Doctor so he can get to work." Cain allowed himself a mental pat on the back when the hybrid did as he was told. Tension flowed out of Section 10 Arx and he powered down his cybernetics before they gave him away.

McKay watched Beckett struggle to regain his breath. "Help her, Carson." He turned away from his friend. "Please." Then he vanished in a flash of darkness.

"Come on." Sheppard growled rushing to look for McKay. Several of the others followed after him; either in concern for McKay or to make sure he didn't do anything he would regret. No one noticed Cain slip across the Infirmary and leave through the other end.

With the drama, and threats on his life, over Beckett returned to his task of treating his patient. His staff had already had every kind of diagnostic tool at their disposal hovering over the Russian. He sat down at a terminal and began the laborious process of discovering just what was actually wrong with Lillia. A shrill exclamation from somewhere around chest height brought his attention over to the two Asgard in the room.

The female one was working at a holo-tank her webbed hands manipulating a rune stone rather than a normal interface. "Doctor. These readings are most anomalous." Eoster, the Aesir Asgard of the base, chirped. Her body was much smaller and thinner than Ullr's. The male Vanir roughly pushed her away from the Hololith and hunched his grey body over the controls.

Beckett looked over the Vanir's head, ignoring the way the little grey alien seemed to resent him being taller. Information flashed across the holo-tank at speeds only an Asgard could comprehend but he managed to pick out something very worrying. "This ain't right. This ain't right at all!" Eoster gently activated the Auspexes while Beckett was still frantically wrestling with Ullr over the holo-tank's controls. No matter how strong the Fifth Race had become; they were still a little slow.

"Calm yourself Human." Ullr commanded, as a Generation II clone he still had to crane his neck to deliver his glare. He did not like being touched by Humans. "We have experiments to prepare." The almost gleeful tone in the Asgard's voice was slightly disconcerting. His evil little chuckle even more so.

* * *

Night had fallen over Atlantis and most of the senior staff had managed to corner McKay two levels above the Infirmary. Beckett stepped out of the transport alcove and clasped his hands uncomfortably as he approached his friends. He shot Weir a nervous glance and rubbed at his throat absently. "You should… come and see. You should all come and see." He turned, leading the group back to his Infirmary.

Shooing out a nurse, and making sure Ullr was long gone, Beckett grabbed hold of Lillia's chart, mainly just to have something to hold, and began his evaluation. "Her body is perfectly fine, fit as a fiddle, not even a hint of scar tissue. There's just no brain activity beyond her midbrain." From the corner of his eye he watched Rodney slump into a chair. The utterly defeated look in his face was heart wrenching. Unsure what to do Beckett just kept talking. "Those Replicon cells are tenacious little buggers; they're still working away even now. In all my life I've never seen anything like it."

"Carson, what is so important you needed all of us here?" Weir asked; not that she minded taking the time to help her people, but comforting McKay didn't require the top four people in Atlantis.

Beckett cleared his throat again and nearly managed to suppress the squeak in his voice. "Rodney… you do know she was just over a month pregnant?" The dull, green tinted stare, of near comprehension was all he got in return. Well they say a picture was worth a thousand words, sliding a hand over several crystals he managed to make the wall mounted holo-tank activate. "Well… say hello to your baby girl."

McKay's eyes came back to life and immediately snapped to the hologram. He leaned forward staring at the foetus. "My…" It was a little worrying to see someone go so still, but at least he still blinked every now and then.

"Congratulations… I guess." Sheppard offered weakly, Teyla elbowed him hard in the ribs in response. "What?" He hissed, only for the Athosian to give him an exasperated glare.

"It's bigger than I thought it'd be." Weir said, a little unsure what the hell they were doing here. Zelenka looked ever worse; he seemed ready to bolt at the earliest opportunity.

Beckett nodded glancing at his office. "I know, we've detected a much higher than normal metabolic level. She'll mature much faster than a normal child." Patting the unresponsive McKay on the shoulder Beckett gave a rather obvious sign to follow him. "Rodney if you need anything I'll be over there." He got a vague grunt.

The moment they were all backed into the office Weir rounded on Beckett, a protective gleam in her eyes. "Carson? Is there something wrong with the child?"

"No, no, of course not." Beckett held up his hands as if to ward off Weir. "Our main concern is this." Gingerly activating his Hololith, he quickly brought up an extensive set of case notes.

"And for us simple folk, what is that?" Sheppard muttered sarcastically, it was times like this he missed the simplicity of shooting things.

"You see this?" Beckett said hurriedly, the holo-tank that replaced his old computer reacted to his hand motions. Two very familiar waveforms jumped up from the streams of pictures and graphs rushing across the Hololith. "That's exactly the same as Necrodermis host to a C'tan." He said pointing to a large jagged graph. "And that is a powerful monopolar field interlaced with Kiron particles." The second picture was of a low, but constant, sine wave.

Teyla blinked owlishly, it took a moment for her mind to catch up with the jargon. "And how is this important Doctor? One would assume that Lillia's and Rodney's child would inherit some of their… more unique characteristics." She said, the others nodded in agreement and Beckett seemed to calm down slightly.

"Aye, I suppose, but this is the kicker." Beckett hunched over the Hololith, his finger blurred as they flew through the air manipulating the holographic interface. "We took a wee foetal DNA sample to check for anomalies and the like. What I found was this." Again a few more hand motions beneath the hologram brought up another confusingly long sequence of information. Wasting no time Beckett explained his findings. "This is basically pure Ancient DNA."

"But I thought our ATA gene was nowhere near the genome of a proper Lantean." Weir interrupted. Everyone was well aware McKay had the ATA gene, he had bragged about it for weeks when they found out, and Lillia was obviously in possession of something a lot like it. Current theory put Psykers as a step on the path towards Ascension.

Beckett seemed to be getting exited again. "It ain't! But see here, it's mutating even as we speak. We've run all sorts of tests." He coughed slightly to cover his embarrassment. Ullr's enthusiasm was a little infectious. "We've always known Necrontyr medical technology was eons beyond our own. But I never guessed just how much it would account for." Seeing the confused looks he was getting he brought up a recording he had made using the Lantean scanners. The fuzzy picture showed a thin, utterly black, strand attacking what looked like the vague outline of a chromosome at several points. "The Necrodermis is cutting out all sorts of genetic abnormalities and replacing them with sequences I've only seen in Ancients."

"That would make sense." All eyes turned to Zelenka, they had practically forgotten he was there. The Czech looked slightly embarrassed but continued anyway. "We are the second evolution, logically, our evolutionary end point is the same as the Ancients."

Weir pursed her lips before confirming what Radek and Carson were getting at. "You mean Ascension?"

The dead silence in the room was broken by Sheppard. "Whoa, whoa. Like turning into balls of glowy light Ascension?" The idea of a baby doing what had taken the Lanteans millions of years was rather hard to swallow.

"Aye. Since the Necrodermis has no input, it's defaulted to its basic programming. Which is to improve itself." Getting a nod from the group that they were following he tried to summarise their problem. "It's, basically, trying to build the Better Human."

"This could be a problem." Again everyone turned to look at Zelenka. The balding man was deep in thought, worrying at his finger with his teeth. "Rodney was always limited in his abilities…" He shot Sheppard an annoyed look when he muttered something like 'planet' and 'explosion'. "By the fact he still thought like a Human. If this child is born with ability to perceive the universe like a C'tan, she could very well have no such problems." He actually looked rather distressed at the idea. "I can't even begin to speculate what throwing increased mental prowess into that mixture will do." Weir glanced between Carson and Radek, the both of them had very unsure looks on their faces. If it was as bad as they said, they might just need some heavier fire-power.

"I think it's about time we called in someone who knows a thing or two about Psykers." Sheppard suggested, his face was pulled into a deep scowl at the thought of an upgraded-mini-McKay running around blasting holes into reality.

Weir hummed in thought; when it rained it poured. "The _Emperor's Light_ won't arrive for another few days. But I'll make a call; Levi still owes me a favour or two." As the only being to have defeated McKay in open combat the Librarian would be more than welcome.

"And what of Rodney?" Teyla asked. They all glanced back into the Infirmary where he was still staring at the picture of his unborn child.

"I'll have Heightmeyer take a look at him. Other than that, just try and be there for him. God knows he'll need it." Weir said. If they couldn't bring him back then they might just be forced to terminate him. Better Rodney now, when they could make it as painless as possible, than more billions slaughtered later.

* * *

Morning broken over Atlantis with the usual morning sortie of the City's I-301 Squadrons. But Heightmeyer was too busy preparing for what could be the most important session of her life. Just as she finished arranging the room in the most non-threatening way she could McKay walked in.

"Rodney. Please come in." She smiled at him, trying to convey friendship and understanding. She knew however that he could taste, for the lack of a better word, her unease. "This is my assistant." She gestured to the small, unassuming, woman in the corner frantically scribbling on a data slate. "Do you mind if she stays with us?"

McKay gave the woman a once over. His eyes tracked every single muscle that tensed the moment he focused on her. "I didn't know you had an assistant." If he didn't know that Elizabeth and Sheppard were only looking out for him he would never have come. "And I don't mind."

"Oh yes!" Heightmeyer exclaimed seemingly embarrassed. "She was stationed here… you know, I forgot." She chuckled happily and the assistant gave a long suffering sigh from behind her data slate. McKay offered them a smile but it was forced, to cover it he poured himself a drink from the jug on the table.

"Now what's this I hear about a baby?" Heightmeyer asked. She was leaning forward and the same glint was in her eye that Jeanie got when she was gossiping.

"Well… you know… it's a baby." He offered rather flatly. The whole thing was too painful to think about.

"Boy? Girl?" Heightmeyer questioned. Beckett was being tight lipped and the Asgard referred to it as a 'thing', which everyone had attributed to their hatred of Replicons.

"A girl." McKay muttered, his mind flashed back to the tiny clump of pale flesh growing inside his wife. He was acutely aware that it was generating an energy field similar to his own.

"A girl! That's wonderful; do you have any thoughts on names?" Heightmeyer gushed. It was important that Rodney saw her as non-threatening as possible.

"No." McKay replied sharply.

"Really? Because a name is a very important thing." Heightmeyer wasn't to be put off by his tone and carried on regardless.

"I said NO!" He snapped. The walls shuddered and several pieces of furniture were slammed against the walls. The assistant stilled completely, even her heart seemed to skip a beat, and then she was writing again like nothing had happened.

Heightmeyer quickly back-pedalled before anything too dangerous transpired. "Okay, okay. Let's talk about something else then. How about your last mission?"

"You know what happened." McKay muttered, trying to distract himself he froze all the water in the jug.

Swallowing heavily at the display of powers beyond her comprehension Heightmeyer continued a little more warily. "I read the reports but I want to hear you talk about it."

McKay sighed but began regardless. "It was okay at first. Nothing that I hadn't done before. Then we went there." He stopped the green in his bionic eyes fading as he drifted away from the present.

"To Kelkean?" Heightmeyer asked both to clarify and bring McKay back to their conversation.

"Yes, Lillia and I went to collect information on the Covenant." McKay nodded as the faint memories, of what seemed an eternity ago, floated back. "The Governor, I suppose he was one of them, sent me to this old woman. She shot me." He managed to hind the embarrassment in his voice at the admission.

"An old woman?" The assistant spoke for the first time. Her musical voice sounded deeply sceptical.

"Why would I make that up?" He snapped back making the woman flinch and sink into her seat. Refocusing on Heightmeyer he continued. "Anyway, I persuaded her to talk about what the hell was going on and found out about their ritual. Then I discovered that our ride had fled and Lillia was missing. You don't have to be as smart as me to figure out what happened."

Heightmeyer resisted the urge to roll her eyes. At least they could say his ego was intact. "And?"

"I went after her. I tore apart anyone that got in my way." McKay said it so absentmindedly it took a moment for her to register that he was probably talking about thousands of deaths. Mckay shuddered in his seat a half memory of a strange new energy field and a sword sticking through his torso flickered through his mind. "But these things attacked me… I don't know what they were but I couldn't hurt them. I remember falling into darkness; my last sight was this ziggurat thing and then there was a sudden surge of energy." He shrugged helplessly; it was at this point that everything dissolved into a fuzzy memory of anger and hunger.

"Yes" Heightmeyer pressed. It was important that he talked about what actually triggered the destruction of Kelkean.

"Then… I… I… killed them… I killed them all. The men, the women, the children, the young and the old." McKay hung his head, pressing the heels of his palms into his bionic eyes until his vision was plagued by static. Memories floated to the surface like half-forgotten dreams. The hatred he felt for those sword wielding animal-things and the cattle that summoned them. A voice that gave him power over their existence. The pleasure of feasting upon a million Humans at once. The sight of his wife chained to a rock, a bleeding hole torn into her chest.

Heightmeyer nodded, a little confusion was understandable when the true scale of his actions was beginning to sink in. "And I enjoyed it." McKay hissed with such hatred that Heightmeyer's assistant flinched in her seat. The psychologist, herself, swallowed heavily and shot a glance to the door. And the armed men beyond.

"I want to kill more of them. I want all of them to suffer and die by my hands!" McKay turned the table over, sending it half way through a wall. A pliable sense of dread and hatred began to leak off him, while the lights started to flicker. Necrontyr hieroglyphics winked into life, floating across the surface of his Necrodermis as his rage built.

"I'll kill ALL of them!" He roared, jumping to his feet he let loose a metallic screech. The walls twisted and warped, sending cracks racing through the Lantean metal. Several bits of furniture burst into ash and lights finally exploded into showers of spark. The feeling of utter despair that permeated the air deepened, until all the Humans nearby considered suicide just to escape.

"Rodney!" Heightmeyer screamed, fighting her own hand as it tried to bury the biro into her neck. Just as quickly as it had appeared, the pall of dread lifted. Heightmeyer sucked down a grateful breath, too afraid to move she just stared at the floor. The assistant, however, fled from the room barley holding back her sobs.

"I think… that will be all for today." Heightmeyer wheezed, still not able to look at McKay.

Watching the hybrid sulk from the mutilated room the assistant skulked into a shadowy alcove. Hiding her face behind her data slate, she had to fight to hold down the smirk. "And so the Ygnir is Ours." All according to plan.

* * *

Weir sighed as she looked out over the Lantean ocean. They had three billion dead and a mentally unstable man-god; and it was only Wednesday. Somehow things seemed to be going from bad to worse. She felt tired, drained of all her energy, and it was a weariness that was almost bone deep. Sometimes running a city in the middle of nowhere, with no backup and no support, was easier than running a galaxy. God alone knew how O'Neill managed as Supreme Commander. Weir rolled her eyes at the thought of the O'Neills' dislike for authority. Such a strange, strange man; and his clone was no better. Fortifying herself with a generous gulp of coffee she entered Stargate Operations again.

She hadn't gotten more than a few feet when an explosion rocked the entire Control Tower, people were thrown form their feet as the shock wave passed through the room. The Vox-network exploded into panicked reports and frantic calls for aid. "What was that?" Weir demanded, pulling herself up a railing.

Lorne looked out one of the huge windows. His eyes instantly tracked to the large plume of smoke that was beginning to rise from one of the piers. "I don't know Governess…" He was cut off by a large and angry electronic screech from the Muninn terminal.

Curator Chuck was at the side of the terminal instantly. "Nuclear detonation on Genii!" The stillness that engulfed the room was suffocating.

"Riots on Whisper!" Another Curator, Banks, called out from across Atlantis's Stargate Operations room. Her voice cracked when she delivered the next punishing blow. "The Halcyon Sector has just declared independence!"

"The Olesia Sector Commander and his Legions have just mutinied!" Chuck yelled at the room in general, frantically trying to make sense of the Muninn's huge information stream. The chamber had been engulfed in a low buzz as the people began to talk again.

Someone activated a Vox and Bank's next information dump echoed through the suddenly quiet City Ship. "Our forces on Homestead have come under attack from local militia!"

"Santhal Sector Fleet has denounced the Imperium!" Chuck shouted. He flew back from the Muninn terminal and activated the large Hololith at the rear of the Operations Centre. The map sprang into life showing Olesia, Halycon and Santhal Sectors, on opposite sides of the Elysium Segmentum, highlighted in red. The pin pricks of the Homestead, Genii and Whisper were tiny in comparison.

People were pushing to get better views of the holo-tank; the chattering had reached a level where people were shouting to be heard. "Tracker, Versall, Remnant and Stronghold have just closed their starports!" Weir swallowed heavily as more of the holographic starmap flashed to red. "The entire Battlefleet Elysium is collapsing on itself!" The insignias of Taskforces, Battlegroups and Squadrons began flashing out of existence as Traitor and Loyalist engaged one another.

Bank's gasped; the sound resounded forebodingly through the corridors of Atlantis. "The Governors on Latira and Riva have just been executed." She all but whispered, the comm-bead still picking up her words loud and clear. The two major worlds turned red an instant later.

"Fighting has erupted between the Covenant and Imperial Cult! Thousands are already dead!" Chuck shouted, spinning in his chair to yet another Muninn terminal, miniature casualty lists were appearing beside the effected Systems. There was a collective intake of breath before the gathered crowd exploded into angry shouts and demands for answers. "Ordo Pacis Arx stations have been attacked across the entire Segmentum Titanicus!" Weir had trouble following the flickering red lights as they spread from one side of the Segmentum to the other, covering more than half Segmentum Titanicus like an angry rash.

"Reports of Federation vessels blockading shipping lanes!" Banks reported, but it was mostly lost in the gathering anger of the crowd. "Unknown silhouette and energy pattern detected in Segmentum Calu!" That drew Weir's attention as the unknown drifted into Covenant influenced – correction, Covenant HELD – space.

"We've just lost contact with all Covenant-aligned worlds!" The unknown blinked out of existence the moment the words left Chuck's mouth. A blob of space covering about a third of the Elysium Segmentum and spreading over into the border Sectors of Segmentum Calu turned red.

"Bombings at the Hoffan Clone Legion plants, Sadeta High Command and New Athos Shipyards! Detonations in major civilian areas on Edowin, Vedeena, Common, Sari Sur, Ratira and Whitehorse!" Bank's sounded almost on the verge of tears as the lists of the dead and wounded flooded in through the Muninn. Once again a silence descended on Stargate Operations as the sheer scale of the betrayal began to sink in. They had known it was coming for some time, but so much at once was a horrible shock.

Weir paused to take in the sheer scale of the damage. Practically three Segmentums were highlighted in red, but the actual Traitors only covered about three quarters of the Elysium Segmentum and a few scattered systems in Titanicus and Calu. Still; it was the largest non-Imperial force since the Replicon War. Her eyes were instantly drawn to a flashing insignia right at the heart of the Traitors' space. T-33, being a Milky Way fleet, was the only reliable force within two hundred light-years. Looked like Teal'c was going to have his work cut out for him.

She took a deep breath to calm her nerves and sprang into action. "Threat Level Critical!" She snapped brining everyone's attention to her and her alone. Turning to Chuck she issued her orders. "I am authorising the deployment of Battlefeets Atlantis, Calu and Titanicus. Get every single Legion you can find to Action Stations. Mobilise the H.M.I. to the rebelling Sectors and affect the NOONDAY Stratagem." With that already underway she turned to Banks. "Inform all remaining Loyalist forces to hold their positions. We have to hold before the situation warrants the BLACK DUSK Contingency." The woman nodded before she began relaying the commands. Weir turned to enter her office, but before she did she called over her shoulder. "Someone set up a Vox-link to Battlegroup T-33, and get me a secure line to Sector Commander Teal'c. Then… contact Supreme Commander O'Neill." She was NOT looking forward to that conversation. The Stargate Operations room had returned mostly to normal; people were still gawking at the holo-tank but they were at least doing their jobs.

Chuck's confused voice crackled over the city-wide Vox. "Incoming Vox-transmission… on all frequencies."

A man appeared, replacing the starmap, a buried code activating every Hololith it could. He was shrouded mostly in shadows but you could make out the faint contours of his face and his shoulders. But the thing that drew the eyes was the glowing silvery purple orbs that stared unblinkingly out of the holo-tank. "I… am the Cardinal of the Covenant."

Once again the City Ship Atlantis ground to a halt. The shadowy figure took a deep breath before he began the most important speech of his life. "My fellow Citizens. I will not be found wanting in respect for the men that fought and died to free us from the Wraith. They were all brave men, men who ushered in a new age for our galaxy. But these same men now bind us in chains. Every day I hear the mournful wailing of our countless billions! We are subjected to laws of neither our own design nor our own choosing. We are subject to the fancies of a singular tyrant who rules, unassailably, from Terra. We are subject to a new horror, far more insidious than the Wraith; but every bit as deadly." The image was replaced with a picture of Kelkean. Weir hissed in agitation, she already knew where this was going. A perfect, blindingly white, orb appeared on the surface rapidly expanding to engulf the shielded city, the planet, its moons, the Halos and Crows in orbit and finally the ship that was recording the video.

The image froze on a scene of a Crow and a few fleeing ships being swallowed by the terrifying, unnatural, boundary of unreality. "Kelkean, like Tsunchien before it, was only another in a long line of atrocities. Stretching all the way back to the very first Imperials, who awakened the Wraith to cull us once again. See here my fellow Citizens. See the true face of the Imperium. See how, when they are denied their every whim, they unleash their pet monster; without regard for the Citizens they are sworn to protect. Three billion dead, all because the Supreme Commander decreed that our Covenant was wrong." The scene of celestial destruction was replaced with the Cardinal; even his shrouded features and inhuman eyes somehow conveying a bone deep sorrow.

He sighed again and straightened, an illusion of profound resolve replacing the sorrow in his features. "Now; what does this day of tragedy mean to us, the people of Pegasus? I answer you; a day that reveals to us, more than all other days in our history, the gross injustice and cruelty to which we are the constant victim. To us, their boast of liberty, are an unholy pretence; their Imperial greatness, a swelling vanity; their denunciation of tyrants, brass fronted impudence; their shouts of liberty and equality, hollow mockery; their pretence of religious freedom, with all their solemnity and aloofness; masking for their sermons and thanksgivings to their God-Emperor; mere bombast, fraud, deception, impiety, and hypocrisy – a thin veil to cover up crimes which would disgrace a nation of savages."

The fervour was gone replaced, once again, by sadness but at the same time a hint of pride drifted into the Cardinal's mannerism. "And so, it is with a heavy heart that I call for: the formation of a new and independent state. We – the Covenant of the Sleeping God – appeal to all those who are beleaguered by their Imperial masters to rise up. Throw off their bonds of misplaced loyalty and join us in forging a new destiny. A destiny for Pegasus – NOT the Milky Way! Join us in freedom, my friends, do not continue to accept slavery!" A smile that revealed far too many teeth was the last thing anyone saw before the Cardinal blinked out of existence. For a moment Weir thought she saw sharp points on those teeth but she was distracted when O'Neill came striding up to her.

The two of then looked at each other for a moment before O'Neill turned to watch the activating Stargate. The wailing klaxon had faded to a brass rumbling in the background and the clone slumped defeated against the railing. Then he summed up the entire day for the both of them.

"Well… fuck."


	10. A Young Clone's Life on the Battlefield

"Normal speech."

"**Gothic**." **And**** beta's**** comments**

"Telepathy."

"_Ship __names __or __written__ works_."

* * *

S058: Oh he'll get his eventually. The Imperium will send out agents to get him but McKay hasn't quite come round enough to star placing blame. But when he does; run for the god-damn hills!

The Ori haven't always got everything their way. The True Human Empire backfired horribly. You must remember that the Ori are Ascended. They know everything about everything. They have specially modulated their forces to be better than the Imperiums'. Circa I.Y. 4. _War__ necessitates __a __different __set __of __morals._

'The Benevolent Scriber': Definitely. The question you should ask yourself is whose plan was this. The Imperium is about to lay down the law but they have to act within certain boundaries to prevent more rebellion. _Pain__ is __an__ illusion__ of __the__ senses, __despair __an__ illusion__ of__ the__ mind._

Alpha Omega Protocol: Thanks nice to know the twist worked.

Yes, it's nice to know that you can get involved with the character like that. It's going to be complicated and McKay's pain is far from over. And the reason that the Furling calls McKay _Death__Reborn_ will become very apparent. Unfortunately Ba'al's super time machine doesn't exist in this universe.

Again nice to see that my story has such an impact. Don't assume they didn't get enough. Maybe they got too much for the Other's comfort? Who knows?

Glad you liked the beginning of the Covenant Insurrection. Yeah the Ascended are heavily invested in their plan now. No one guessed the direction I was taking with McKays child, and that makes me happy. Hope this continues to enthral. _Damnation __is__ eternal._

* * *

**Heresy Through The Wormhole Part 1: This Impure World – A Young Clone's Life on the Battlefield: Loyalty**

* * *

Glancing round the room Weir was acutely aware of the tension in the air. Even the small holographic yew tree and ravens of the Yggdrasill, Muninn and Huninn seemed to shift uncomfortably. Or as much as a tree could.

The two O'Neills were at one end. Clone standing next to hologram, there was no playful banter today. A testament to how seriously they were taking this. Angelus and Teal'c, again holograms, flanked her and filling in the last two spots Sheppard and Chaplain Julianis, the man responsible for mitigating the various Covenant-Cult accords. In her, humble, opinion he was here just to grovel. The Pegasus galaxy spun slowly in front of them, the angry wash of red reduced from all affected worlds to Traitorous ones only. The Hugninn's, already sketchy, view of Pegasus had been reduced even further leaving them with only the most rudimentary intelligence on the Traitor's disposition. Most of the bombings and attacks on Imperial personnel had been swiftly and mercilessly dealt with by the Pacis Arxs. Executions were becoming far too frequent for Weir's taste, but they were putting down the insurgents.

"Well… at least they've sorted themselves into nice neat groups." Sheppard's attempt at humour fell flat. Angelus even managed to deepen his scowl to a level Weir hadn't seen since he decked O'Neill so long ago.

"They are ALL still Traitors." The Marine Captain snapped. "Now we must plan the best course to slaughter them." The truly ancient Hololith on the _Emperor__'__s__ Light_ flickered at the sudden movement.

A few uncomfortable coughs escape the O'Neills and the Yggdrasill Core's leaves started to glow slightly. "Outright genocide would be undesirable." The trilling voice of the World Tree offered, its leaves flashing along in various patterns. "Predictions show that a depopulation of the Elysium Segmentum will result in thirty percent of the Imperium joining the revolt. The mathematics are determinate." Julianis made to speak but the Machine Spirit cut him off. "Progroms will have a similar effect."

"All historical records indicate a similar result." The Muninn added, flapping its tiny wings at Angelus.

"My terminals within the combat zone have all been destroyed. However I managed to log all Traitor forces before shut down. Their positions can be extrapolated. But now I am even more incomplete." The Huninn offered. The stellar-atlas changed to show the probable positions of the Traitor fleets and armies. Vague black ringed circles stretched across half the Segmentum, overlapping until everywhere could reinforce everywhere else.

"Give me a break down on these 'independent' states." Supreme Commander O'Neill ordered, a calculating eye sweeping over the newly multi-coloured stellar-atlas. Unlike the Milky Way Pegasus was an irregular galaxy and had a very definite three dimensional structure. To O'Neill and Angelus it was a little strange having a Segmentum that didn't go all the way through.

Segmentum Atlantis was a hemisphere of densely clustered stars that hugged the southern edge of the galaxy, with Lantea at its centre. Segmentum Calu was at the opposite end, shaped like a kidney the barely populated Segmentum stretched across the entire northern edge. Both however didn't stretch all the way through the galaxy letting Segmentum Titanicus, which comprised the space in-between the two, engulf them. Elysium Segmentum was a simple ellipse, like someone had taken a bite out of Titanicus, and sat in a clustered protrusion to the west of Calu.

"We'll start small." Colonel O'Neill muttered. The Hololith shifted from the galactic overview to Elysium Segmentum and a few Systems at the borders. "The Kingdom of Pegasus. It's just Stronghold, Versall, Remnant and Tracker trying to lord-it over the Ithaca Sector's trapped Systems." The four Systems were arranged in a lose diamond around the main safe passage through the Ithaca Sector's over crowded proto-star cluster. Sometimes the relative youth of Pegasus, and its stars, could be a problem. Ithaca Sector was the smallest of the eight Sectors, closest to Lantea and home to the Helheim System.

"The United Free Nations." Weir took over sending the holo-tank zooming to the very edge of the galaxy. Everyone chose to ignore the tiny green dot of Zerfàrim-space nestled against the large red blob. "It's basically the Halcyon Sector – thankfully that's broken up into some twenty independent Systems – and, weirdly, the Homestead System." Halcyon, along with Walha, had the biggest sections of Battlefleet Elysium, but if it was spread across twenty different Systems that was a relief. The only problem was who ended up with the Dreadnought.

"Homestead?" Sheppard asked. The tiny out of the way planet in Titanicus flashed in response. Having an entire Segmentum of hostile space between it and the Halcyon Sector was a little… overstretched. "Why?" All he got was a shrug from O'Neill.

"The Coalition of Planets. The bankers of this entire revolt." Weir continued, she distinctly remembered these being the fools who tried to intimidate the Imperial envoy. Their entire native navy had been nothing compared to even a single Imperial Cruiser. "Comprising the entire Olesia and Santhal Sectors, Latira, Riva, and Whisper Systems." Olesia and Santhal Sectors were separated by the Arcadia Sector. Which had been practically split down the middle by the defection of Latira and Riva, while Whispered was a perfect conduit to Titanicus, and Genii. Just to make sure the O'Neills were following she decided to add. "They're the ones supplying the Genii Rebels."

O'Neill, both clone and original, gave Weir an exasperate glance. "The Covenant." The Colonel said dryly. Their two large Sectors of space became brighter. "Technically, I guess, they hold the largest amount of space, but it's a mess of barely Nascent Worlds. The border with Calu means those are some mean bush. We're talking deep jungle, desert, tundra, toxic wasteland, anywhere you can live without attracting attention." The tiny Muninn raven hopped forward slightly. The Machine Spirit was all geared up to rattle off some 'important' information when the Supreme Commander shot it down with a glare. The clone continued unabated. "But we all know that thei`re pulling the strings, so we consider the whole thing the Covenant." Both Angelus and Teal'c gave tiny nods of acknowledgement. "The Ecclesiarchy and Pacis Arxs have managed to blunt most of their sectarian rioting but the fact they hit the entire Segmentum Titanicus… speaks for itself." He finished with a shrug. That kind of wide scale, unforeseen, attack spoke of a dangerously well connected underground operation.

"I would suggest using only Milky Way personnel until we can verify the loyalty of all Pegasus locals." Weir offered. No one had said it yet but they couldn't be sure just how deep this corruption went.

The Teal'c hologram gestured to the holo-tank where only a few scattered Loyalist forces remained. "My Battlegroup had mostly withdrawn towards Hel when the Insurrection began. With the resolution of the MIDNIGHT Contingency the T-33 was set to make a patrol of the Anchor and Germania Sectors." The free Jaffa stopped when O'Neill senior's hologram leaned forward, a dark look on his face.

O'Neill began writing on a data slate back in the SGC. "Then this is how we play this."

* * *

O'Neill sighed heavily; once again he had resigned millions to death. Sam was taking Daniels death almost as hard as last time. But that time, at least, they got to say goodbye. She had thrown herself into her work. Some had even begun to call her obsessed; the Azazel Engine had been practically commandeered by her and her team. There they were cooking up ever more inventive ways of crushing the Covenant Insurrection. He had taken the decision to hold back on the data Daniel had taken from the Ancient database and the raiders' scans until they were no longer embroiled in a civil war. The last thing they needed was to open Pandora's Box; like experimenting with the Warp or letting people know that some new, more powerful, foe was out there somewhere. Again.

It was a decision that was extremely unpopular with both Titov and Mitchel. Which was why they were standing before him, the faintest hints of anger tugging at their faces.

"You weren't there. These things are beyond dangerous." Mitchel all but growled. "We need to prepare for them."

"I've reviewed the data. They had one, ONE, Cruiser that was barely a match for one of our Frigates. These…" He waved a hand at the crystals, specifically the one containing scans on the white armoured creatures. "Things. They were using Warp powers. The only things we have to defend against that are in Pegasus. I can't pull back our most prominent assets, especially if the reports from Tsunchien Operation and the Kelkean disaster are correct." If there were Warp powers involved, the Covenant had become all the more dangerous.

He frowned, his eyes cloudy, as if a deep and bitter conflict was ranging inside his mind. "No, whatever it is it was affecting the Warp. I never want to expose this world to that again." He shuddered as memories of the Daemons and the warehouse returned more vivid than ever. "You both heard some of Angelus's stories." The two nodded and O'Neill relaxed his scowl.

Titov gave a long sigh and saluted lazily. "Request permission to lead an analysis team." For once the lazy Russian straightened. "These raiders will return. We NEED to be ready."

"Very well. But this is Top Secret. With all the unrest the Covenant Insurrection is causing we don't need to add fuel to the fire." Ttitov nodded slowly, it was a concession, but it was enough. Mitchel made to speak again but was cut off by O'Neill. "And no Mitchel we will not be examining the Ancient data in any way. Dismissed."

Titov swept from the room eager to begin his assignment but Mitchel lingered. A dark look on his face he straightened himself as he walked away. "It's just that Jackson… he died for this. A lot of good men died for this." Mitchel stopped before he made it to the door. With a backwards glance, that conveyed the sheer disgust he felt almost better than words, he hissed. "I thought you would be more interested."

O'Neill's snarl would have killed the Major General if he had cared to look back. Instead he was left in his office to stare at the little bundle of data crystals. For some reason he couldn't even bring himself to touch them.

* * *

The trip back to the T-33 had been short and sweet. The two Representatives had traded in the _Moon__ Reader_, who was even now on her way, for the faster _Retaliator_. The Orilla Battleship simply had more energy to sink into its hyperdrive. The Battleship had been stuffed full of Atlantis's supply of Cyclonic Torpedoes. Weir had categorically refused to release the Virus Bombs into the T-33's hands until the Covenanters were within the halls of Atlantis itself.

A quick glance around the room just to make sure everyone was here and O'Neill settled into his ´briefing mode'. A column of red robes and bionics settled at his side. A Mechadendrite snaked out and plugged itself into the holo-tank. The device activated and the raw data of the Muninn and Huninn System streaked across it. The indecipherable flashes of code and light simplified into a stellar-atlas not un-similar to the one he had just been examining on Atlantis. However the latest data from the Reticent Frigates scouting the borders had been added. With a strong cough he brought the room to silence.

"Stronghold has been determined as our first target due to the presence of the semi-operational City Ship." O'Neill nodded to the holo-tank, the stellar-atlas zoomed into the System and quickly displayed the predicted combat effectiveness of the Lantean installation. The large insignia of the T-33 shattered the defensive line and took up position over Stronghold. "The over-strength T-33 Battlegroup will then break into smaller, individual, Battlegroups and invade Traitor space along the Covenant-Coalition border and proceed to the Walhalla Sector. Our primary objective will to relieve any remaining Loyalist forces. Then; engage and kill any and all Traitors we find." The holographic representation of the T-33 broke into five smaller fleets and branched out into the surrounding space. There were several muted mutterings, most notably from the Terran Officers. "Civilians are not to be targeted unless we are threatened with being overrun in the Traitor Systems. If such a thing were to occur Supreme Commander O'Neill has implemented Special Orders 1 and 2." He leaned across the Hololith, his body disrupting the display. "We are to terminate all Traitors before levelling as much planetary infrastructure as we can."

"Won't that cause undue civilian casualties?" A static laden voice asked. O'Neill easily picked the hologram of the Swedish Naval Colonel out of the crowd. Some of the non-Terrans, especially the Jaffa, scoffed at the idea.

The Terran Representative glanced down for a second before he gave up on being diplomatic. "Yes. It will, but you know damn well that under Special Orders 1 and 2 the rules of engagement are totally different." And that was because they were implemented against a ruthless mechanical enemy, bent on total extermination of all life.

"But!" The young Officer shouted, obviously distressed at the idea of wanton murder.

The red robed figure to his right let out a series of indecipherable beeping sounds. "Imperial technology cannot escape the control of the Mechanicus!" The Tech-Priest shrieked, effectively ending the argument once and for all.

Teal'c stepped in before the Terrans and Mechanicus started a shouting match. "Indeed. We all know that happens when those who are not ready, gain control of technology above their station. We cannot risk to repeat the Goa'uld-situation." Teal'c explained in a steady monotone. There were several muttered yesses and nods of understanding. No matter how reluctant.

O'Neill grunted in satisfaction. "Then go to it."

Hailey greeted him outside the room. Her Semi-Powered Armour was already fixed in place and expanded. The clone rolled his eyes at her but said nothing. They walked in silence to the ship's barracks where several of the Terra 33rd's Cohorts were awaiting to be addressed. General Raza Muhammad and surprisingly Lieutenant General Telford had requested that he personally take the briefing. The, so called, ´Hero of the Imperium` had apparently earned more than just blind admiration from the rag-tag mixture of Terrans. If they were to survive what was to come they would need to place that confidence in themselves, not just him. He had seen too many people break before the Replicons even hit their lines. And something in his gut told him the coming war might be even worse.

The mustering grounds were, in the original designs, where the Battleship's Shrine was supposed to be. The feature had been removed from all Imperial ships constructed after the outbreak of the Replicon War. Haley settled at her place behind the assembled Generals and O'Neill strode out into the middle of the stand. "**This ****will**** not ****be**** like**** Tsunchen.**** We**** are ****going**** in ****against ****a ****tough**** and ****determined ****opponent.**** These ****are ****not**** rebels ****or ****mercs, ****these ****are ****Legionnaires.**** Like ****yourself.**** They**** will**** know**** everything ****you ****know, ****they ****will ****be ****just**** as ****smart,**** just**** as ****strong**** and ****they**** WILL ****have**** the**** home ****field**** advantage.****" **He stopped pacing turning to face both the Vox projecting his image to the other Mjolnirs and the thousands gathered before him.** "****But,**** my ****lovable****FNGs,**** we**** are ****the**** Terran**** 33****rd ****Legion.**** And**** we**** shall**** remind ****them**** why ****the**** Imperium ****has**** survived**** and**** prospered**." A cheer burst out from somewhere in the VIII Cohort. The all American unit had always been unduly rowdy. Before he could stop them the entire room was roaring in agreement. He glanced at General Raza Muhammad but the man just shrugged in indifference.

Once the Legion quieted down O'Neill continued with the details of the operation. A Hololith burst into life behind him in a shower of light. "**The**** IX ****Cohort ****will ****be ****dropping ****in ****the ****first**** wave.**** The**** brass**** thought**** we ****did ****so**** well ****taking**** down ****the**** rebels ****on ****Tsunchen,**** that ****we**** should ****get ****the**** '****honour****' ****of**** assaulting**** the ****City ****Ship ****with**** the**** 17****th**** Hoffan**** Clone**** Legion**." There was a general, if much quicker, cheer from the mixed race Cohort before he continued. "**The ** **II,**** III,**** VII ****and**** VIII**** will**** be**** responsible**** for ****attacking ****the**** secondary**** targets.**** These**** include: ****the ****shipyards ****on**** the ****far**** moon, ****the ****Stargate**** centre**** and ****the ****Mechanicus ****HQ.**** The ****V, ****VI**** and ****X ****will ****be**** moving ****through**** outlying ****villages.**** Sweeping ****up ****the ****anticipated**** '****light****' ****resistance. ****I ****and ****IV ****will ****be ****landing ****after ****the ****initial**** assault**** has ****taken ****down**** the**** City ****Ship****'****s ****outer**** defences. ****With**** their ****King**** dead**** we ****expect ****most ****of ****them**** to**** surrender;**** but**** don****'****t ****count**** on ****this ****being**** easy**." He saluted the gathered Terrans. "**The**** Emperor ****protects**!"

* * *

The 'King' of Pegasus stood tall and proud on the Bridge of his new flagship. The _Star __Cutter_, the renowned Ragnarok class Battleship, that had been THE Supreme Commander's flagship at the Battle of Mars. The very mention of her name had sent the Ithaca Sector cowering in fear. It also might have something to do with the Federation fleet that he was, oh so graciously, allowing to squat in his Kingdom. And their fancy new ship.

"Oh Great One. I am detecting a fleet at the edge of this System." The king turned, ready to order the death of these Imperial fools. For a moment the stars were replaced with hyperspace windows and the King's tongue fell limp in his mouth.

The entire Traitor Battlegroup was in shocked silence as the largest fleet they had ever seen continued to pour out of hyperspace. There were more Battleships arranged against him than he had Frigates. A sudden overwhelming terror took hold of the King but it was far too late. Valhallas surged towards Stronghold, their huge Fleet Shields sheltering Mjolnirs and Squadrons of Frigates. Before the Traitors could move to intercept a wave of torpedoes, that smothered even the starlight, hurtled towards them. Frigates, as was their duty, valiantly tried to intercept the deadly weapons but it was like trying to hold back a hurricane. Explosions rippled through the Traitors scattering the ships and allowing the Valhallas to pass through their lines. Nova Cannons flashed, their explosion doing little damage within the scattered fleet but destroying the Traitors' last hope of regrouping. The Imperial Cruisers came at the Traitors next. Terran Defenders and Sageris Cruisers plunging right into the heart of the Traitors fleet, while Chollimas poured Wings of I-301s into the battle. The I-301s swarmed their counterparts nimbly seeking out any weakness and punishing the Traitors for it. Defenders peeled away to engage their opposites but the Sageris Cruisers crowded around the Battleships, their Plasma Lance broadsides tearing into Void Shield and armour alike. Longinus Destroyers came shooting through the storm of weapons' fire Plasma Lances expertly seeking weakened prey and tearing them apart. Return fire was sporadic at best the sheer overwhelming weight of numbers making a kill almost impossible. Then the slightly slower Battleships hit.

More Plasma Lances, Railguns and Pulse blasts than the King cared to count ripped through space, slicing open his weakening ships. Ellis, as was his way, led the _Jealous __Cherubim_'s Taskforce right down the middle, the Gungnir eviscerating everything in its path. The protected swarms of Frigates overwhelmed the older Halo stations and Aegis Defence Platforms in short order leaving Stronghold undefended. It was a slaughter, plain and simple; the Traitors were outnumber ten to one, they never stood a chance. He managed to glimpse Stronghold burning as the Mjolnirs levelled all his fortifications before the last of his Orillas died in a torpedo barrage, then he was alone.

"Ancestors preserve me." He muttered as the _Roots __of __Io_, the monstrous Dreadnought the largest thing he had ever seen, set the _Star __Cutter_ firmly in her sights. There was a moment's pause before eight flickering beams of green energy slammed home against the weakened Void Shield. The rippling energy barrier faltered and died allowing the Particle Whips to ravage the Ragnarok's dorsal armour. The Gauss weapons ate through the Adamantium with ease allowing the six Heavy Railgun slugs that followed easy access to the ship's interior. The Melta-rounds, travelling insanely fast, exploded with the force of several nuclear detonations. Each.

O'Neill closed his eyes and muttered a quick prayer he'd picked up from the Mech-boys. The _Star__ Cutter _had been a good ship. If only her crew were half as good he mused. A mournful glance out the window as she split in half, fires billowing from either end, only to suddenly vanish when they consumed the limited oxygen, was all he spared the dying vessel before leaving for the Drop Pod bay.

Haley nodded with a confidence she didn't feel at Greer and his Squad. The H.M.I. simply smiled casually at her. All around them the IX Cohort was being bundled into Drop Pods, for some this was their first time in the armoured re-entry modules. She was distracted from the nausea that usually plagued her before a combat drop by a shouting match in Mandarin, Gothic and what sounded like butchered Russian. DeWyman got her attention by tossing a spare power pack at her while he re-checked the chambers in his Plasma Pistol. The there was a deafening clang as the first Drop Pod was swung into position, hover precariously over the edge of the shielded hanger.

"**Thirty**** seconds**." The Machine Spirit's mechanical voice boomed in a dull monotone. Stepping into the Drop Pod Hailey easily settled into routine as she checked her harness and the inertial dampers.

A tremor rocked the Battleship and Haley glanced up to see O'Neill coming towards them rather quickly. Greer snapped off a crisp salute and O'Neill waved off the rest of the Squad before they could. "We're going. Now."

Haley yelped when O'Neill roughly pushed her down into the harness. At her startled glance O'Neill relented slightly, he slid into his own chair with practised ease. "They're firing Drones. This is going to be rough." Not a moment latter her stomach did a backflip when the _Retaliator_'s artificial gravity cut out.

"Express elevator to the abyss! Going DOWN!" Enskop was practically gnawing at his harness in anticipation. A muffled exclamation in Gothic made its way through the thick hull. Then Drop Pod shuddered and they were in free fall.

Haley gasped in shock when the Orilla next to the _Retaliator_ exploded when a thick stream of glowing yellow bolts slammed into it. Rather than phase through the Void Shield they impacted on mass until it simply failed. "Well that was fracking stupid." O'Neill muttered, while the remaining the Drones plastered themselves uselessly against the other Battleships. "They just wasted practically their entire armoury."

"Shut up!" Haley squeaked when a streak of yellow flashed past the tiny window and hit the Drop Pod behind them. O'Neill smiled mirthlessly as another two Drop Pods were split open by stray Drones. Their view was obscured a moment later by the flames of their re-entry, but he knew more of the Terran 33rd IX Cohort would meet their end before planetfall.

They landed in a small village, at the other end of the deep valley the City Ship lay in. Far enough away that the conventional weapons couldn't reach them but they could still attack. The simple Plasteel constructs shattered under the Drop Pod, flinging aside the shredded remains of villagers and Traitors alike.

Explosive bolts were fired and the Adamantium doors slammed down. Greer was first out firing short bursts into the smoke filled air. O'Neill activated his own Terrorsights and picked out a cluster of heat signatures carrying rifles. A few bursts of Railrifle fire brought them down.

A hatch opened in the rubble coated ground and green blurs poured from it. Voxes snarled as the Traitors screamed at the Imperials to surrender. Greer caught one of them by the Railrifle and spun the fool by her weapon. Holding his Vibroknife to the woman's throat he issued his own, rather graphic, threats. Before Haley could move to help Spyridon placed a hand on her shoulder.

The Agiman moved like a predator, he glided forward his people's mantra sliding from his lips. "Death is only the beginning." And the goofy young boy that had followed her form O'Neill's H.M.I. Regiment, turned into the streak of silver death his race were renown for. He moved with such speed and grace that the Neuknife never stopped, he emerged on the other side of the Traitors perfectly composed as they sagged lifeless behind him. It was easy to forget that Spyridon was a walking killing machine, the summation of a thousand generations of martial pride.

"Move!" DeWyman roared, firing into the smoky air. A bolt of plasma screeched over their heads an instant later. Greer's Squad opened up, blasts of green light crackling through the air.

"**All**** units. ****All ****units. ****LZ-Alpha**** is ****hot.**** I**** say ****again, ****LZ-Alpha ****is ****hot! ****Converge**** on**** Hoffan ****LZ**." O'Neill tuned out the confirmations that ranged from simple Sergeants to Telford himself.

The Hoffan LZ was a mess. The clones were milling around without any real direction and O'Neill couldn't see more than a single Cohorts worth of soldiers stretching across the entire valley.

"Well, look what the cat dragged in." The eerily familiar voice made Haley shudder as she turned to face the identical but totally different DeWyamn clone. "What are you old man a I or maybe a II?" The slightly less scared DeWyamn asked ignoring the others in favour of his H.M.I. counterpart.

"IV, mikta clone." O'Neill's DeWyman growled back. Three more clones appeared each from different lines.

"Ha! He thinks he's from the Way!" The closer DeWyman laughed nudging his partner.

"Stow it Corporal." O'Neill growled. Once again Hailey was startled as the young Colonel's mannerism changed again. He exuded such a commanding presence that the two clones seemed to simply freeze in place. "Where's your CO? The Terran IX is ready to mount up." He continued, either ignoring or unaware that none of the other Terrans had arrived yet.

"Fives! Kid!" A tall blonde woman in Sergeant's stripes snapped at the two DeWymans. Haley vaguely recognised her as a DeQuenell. "Vox Major General DeSiggers." The Sergeant flashed them an apologetic smile.

"General's in the farmhouse down that path." The DeWymans said in unison. "The DeRedway that was supposed to be in charge is all over the place." One of them muttered, shifting uncomfortably inside his Un-Powered Armour.

"Is he that busy?" Haley asked, frowning down at the fiascos of a LZ.

Greer snorted and O'Neill rolled his eyes. But Enskop jumped right in. "No, his Drop Pod got hit on the way down." The white haired Vanir experiment seemed extremely pleased with himself.

"Why've they got names?" Haley asked their DeWyman, desperate to change the subject to something a little less morbid.

One of the Hoffan DeWymans spun round a happy smile on his face. "Me ma'am? I'm DeWyman IX 99 555, from the Galladrain plant. And this ugly fool is DeWyman IX 100 000, from the Gullondain plant you see. You offworlders were always getting so confused, so I'm Fives and he's the Kid." For some reason he seemed extremely proud of the fact.

"So that's how they tell you apart?" She was stunned that they got names for such trivial reasons. At least calling their DeWyman 'Dee' made some sense.

"Ah, the plight of clones everywhere." Enskop mumbled receiving sharp glares from all the Hoffans.

"Let's go Dee." O'Neill muttered placing a hand on the Hoffan clone's shoulder before he launched himself at the Hel clone.

They found the command centre in the middle of the LZ surrounded by three idling Chimera's. The place was surrounded by all ten different lines of Hoffan clones rushing back and forth. A DeAzo clone called them to the attention of the command staff before O'Neill could even open his mouth.

A single Hololith dominated the tent and several clones were gathered around it either glaring at the scattered blue of the Imperial forces of the thick and clean red lines of the Traitors.

"Report." The Terran Representative commanded with all the natural authority that seemed to come to him so easily.

"We lost our armour when the _Lord__ Pi__'__fel _went up!" A DeIsgar clone shouted. "The Drones scattered us all over. The General has taken a command post at the Stargate but for now Major General DeSiggers in charge of these Cohorts." The brunet seemed on the verge of a panic attack.

"We have to push forward." A DeYonwin said. The muscular female jabbed a accusatory finger at the IX Cohort. "The Terrans are already in position for an attack. If we don't move now we will lose the initiative."

"Representative, I would like to hear your council." The DeSiggers were hulking redheaded males, made famous through their preference towards brutal hand-to-hand combat.

"We have to take the City Ship quickly or they will shred us with Drones. Honestly I'm surprised that we haven't been hit yet. They must have exhausted their supply of Drones taking out the _Lord __Pi__'__fel_. If we hit them before they use their Constructor to make more we will mitigate their one major advantage." O'Neill said, easily manipulating the simplistic holo-tank to show a close up analysis of the Traitor's defences.

"It will be costly." A DeQuenell muttered. "But he is right. We lack the portable Void Shield generators to defend against a Drone barrage and we dare not hit it with orbitals lest we ignite their ZPM." The clones nodded at each other and the DeSiggers walked outside his Un-Powered Armour expanding to cover all but his face.

The DeSiggers climbed atop one of the few Chimeras that had made it planetside. "Hoffans! For the Imperium! For the Emperor! CHARGE!" There are some things that stay with you all your life. For Haley the sight of a full Clone Cohort charging, screaming at the tops of their lungs, towards a half-buried Lantean City Ship was a moment that would be with her forever.

Drones came hurtling from the City. Three dozen at the most, but it was still enough to wreak havoc. The Ancient weapons slammed into the charging clones, Naquadah enhanced explosions taking out entire Platoons at a time. Men and women were sent hurtling through the air, startled shrieks following after them. The Judges that had made it down with the first wave of the 33rd opened up on the far City. The high pitched whine of Railguns was almost lost to the clone's warcry, but the streaks of tracer fire weren't. Spyridon pushed Hailey down as a bolt of yellow screamed past his head. The Chimera behind them was hit on the side, the vehicle rolled over, Promethium pouring from its shattered fuel tank. A moment later the whole thing was consumed in a fire ball.

"Cohort I and IV are inbound!" There was a moment's pause, while harsh Spanish screaming hissed from the comm-bead "Lieutenant General Castro says they can't get Landers in until we hit their AA!"

Telford, looking very annoyed with one of his eyebrows burned off, almost broke his fist on the Chimera's hull. "Damn him! I want our Reetou Termination Squad inside their lines five minutes ago!" Telford shouted pushing the Vox-operator back into his seat. "Fucking bugs; and where the hell are the Genii!" He roared as the Chimera bucked. From the sounds of things the City's defences had finally started firing.

"They've been blacklisted." Haley quietly informed the irate Lieutenant General. Telford merely tried harder to break his hand by hitting the poor, innocent hull.

O'Neill cursed as his Semi-Powered Armour gave him a lovely, enhanced, image of plumes of smoke and fire on the far mountainside. Earthshaker shells rained down on the attacking Hoffans, shrapnel rattling off the side of the Chimera. O'Neill felt, as always, the Heavy Railgun round before the light even reached his eyes. The streak of fire appeared to reach backwards from the explosion. Behind him, of the handful of Terran Battletanks that made it down most of them were vaporised in the explosion. His Armour traced the line of burning air to a set of three Longswords, another fired a moment later. The round slammed into a small hill and blew it away down to the bed rock.

"Get me a fire solution on that hill!" O'Neill shouted at the Vox-operator. The DeElphee clone squirmed in her seat as she relayed the Representatives orders. All he could do was grit his teeth and watch the spire of the City Ship grow ever larger.

The entrenchments were rudimentary at best. Railguns and Lascannons firing at the skies, Pulse Cannons blasting away at the charging Imperials, Heavy Bolters and Plasma Accelerators waiting for their targets to close and enough Legionnaires to slow the attackers under the City's guns.

"Targets." She hissed at her mate. The three sharp clicks of readiness was all she got in return but it was enough. Turning to the other four she hissed out. "Officers. Eliminate." The others complied silently, shifted gently through earthen works until they found a command post.

With a screech all six Reetou pounced. Bolts of plasma leapt from their arm cannons. Hers impacted the Sargent Major overseeing the AA Railguns. Her mate's hit the volatile Mk II ammo dump, the Trinium needle filled rounds exploded. Hysterical screaming erupted all along the defensive line as soldiers were shredded by the armour piercing metal shards, of course the shrapnel passed harmlessly through the Reetou. Like spectres of death they leapt through the storm of metal, silencing those who might recover before medical aid arrived. Precise strikes left weapons that could incinerate tanks unless lumps of metal, their operators dead or dying.

The first thing the Traitor officers knew of the attack was when a man's head exploded. A second later a woman was flung across the room her back a smouldering mess. Unable to see their attackers the Traitors formed a defensive circle, still the invisible Reetou mercilessly cut them down. The Second activated his Phase Belt long enough to drop an incendiary grenade before the insectoid killers hurried from the room.

Fires and random detonations of ammunition tore through the Traitor emplacement. By the time the first Hoffan could see it the entire defensive structure was a burning wreck. Bodies were strewn everywhere with no clear indication of what had transpired; and, of course, the Reetou were long gone.

"Into the City!" O'Neill shouted from atop the singular Hoffan Chimera to have survived the assault. He acknowledged Haley, as their battered Chimera slid to a stop, with a friendly wave from the pintle-mounted Heavy Bolter. Telford ignored the Representative as he commandeered control of the Hoffan's Chimera.

They were inside the defence lines now. Hoffans stormed forward, totally undeterred by the volume of heavy weapons fire coming from the semi-submerged City Ship. A sonic boom merged seamlessly into the symphony of the battlefield but no one missed the explosions that followed. Streaks of blue light, like the wrath of a god, slammed down into the ancient structure. The Lascannons vaporised the towers, and gun emplacements, in orgies of shrapnel and fire. Trailing after the Las, missiles slammed into exposed sections. With a rumble that he felt more than hear whole sections of the buried city collapsed crushing the forces garrisoned within and cutting off major power lines. The Squadron of Marauders and Prowlers pulled away, Railgun fire tracing haplessly after them. The far mountainside exploded into blue flames a moment later, effectively eradicating the artillery emplacements.

Hoffans stormed into the exposed towers, Railrifles set on full auto, to meet the shell-shocked Traitors in brutal hand-to-hand fighting. The IX Cohort was a little more ordered as they breached the City Ship. Just like they were trained Ra'keks first followed by Fireteams. Imperial Landers finally came swooping in, dropping off Platoons on the higher levels and armour where it was needed.

The Apostle watched on a Hololith as the Imperials overran the Kingdom's defenders as if they weren't even there. Such a beautiful slaughter, it was a shame he couldn't watch it to the end. He could actually hear the fighting now, oh how he longed to join them but he would obey the words of the Cardinal. Turning from the hologram he threw himself into a plasma reactor moments before the Imperials breached the room. The Federation had done their job nicely and the 'King' had allowed the Words of God to infest his people so easily. His mission complete, he grinned manically while his body vaporised.

O'Neill felt right at home now. He and his Squad had pushed ahead of the main force to try and capture the System General. The small and covert operations suited him much better than the large scale room-to-room fighting that still occupied the lover towers. Apparently the Traitors had decided to evacuate into the subterranean tunnels that hadn't collapsed; yet. The Hoffans and Terrans had bottled them up nicely but the damn fools had refused to surrender. Engineers were being brought in to bring down the entire complex on top of them.

The comm-bead snarled into life, a thin reedy voice hissing from it. "By order of General Raza Muhammad. Resisting villages are to be put to the torch. Shoot to kill."

"The hell is this?" Greer growled, the heavily armoured Marine came to a standstill his blank face plate turning towards O'Neill.

"Shut up." O'Neill snapped, his mind preoccupied searching through the planet wide tactical net. "Militia? Were the hell did Stronghold get weapons for a militia?" Practically two Legions of the King's partisans had risen up from the supposedly 'lightly' defended villages. Reports of suicide Squads and heavy entrenchment were already common place.

Everyone winced when a blinding flash of light illuminated the horizon for a moment. O'Neill knew what had happened before the radiological alarms went off. The huge mushroom shaped cloud of ash and fire was indication enough. "This whole, god-damn, planet's gone mad." Greer whispered, the shock evident in his voice. Who in their right mind upped the ante to nuclear warfare against a vastly superior force?

Another flash, smaller this time, came from another direction. The panicked screams across the Vox were reaching fever pitch, apparently the II and III were in full retreat. There was even word of the Unas Shock Platoon being dropped in to rattle the defenders. That was all irrelevant though, O'Neill knew what was coming.

The Plasma Lance tore through the air in a pillar of fire. The beam of matter on the edge of becoming energy impacted a far mountain range and wiped it from existence. Magma Bombs followed, no longer the precision strike they had used to soften up the defences, the massive explosive rounds fell haphazardly all but replacing conventional artillery. A plume of dust began to obscure the sky, casting everything in a vague shadow. Indiscriminate orbital bombardment; had things really gotten that bad?

"Let's go!" O'Neill barked. The entire City Ship shook and the tower they were in seemed to tilt slightly before righting itself. "Frak!" O'Neill roared. If they had buried the Traitors then the System General was probably about to off himself.

They rounded the corner only to come face to face with a startled group of Traitors. A woman wearing Sergeant's stripes raised her hands, her Railrifle clattering to the ground. O'Neill's Power Sword bisected her before she could even speak; he unloaded his Railrifle into the chest of another, throwing the body backwards. Spyridon's Neuknife flashed out, the Neutronium blade sliding in between the Unpowered Armour's plates. DeWyman sent one tumbling backwards, a miniature sun eating through his torso. Greer vaporised the last one with a Gauss pulse blast to the head.

"Two more. Heavy weapons." Greer hissed. He plucked two grenades from his belt. The two Traitors behind the Heavy Bolters didn't know what hit them. O'Neill's Squad burst through the choke point easily dispatching the two terrified defenders inside the room. Greer casually sauntered over to the Heavy Bolters and shot the groaning men in the head.

The huge Adamantium doors looked tough and they all knew that Lantean metals were almost as good. "Melta!" O'Neill roared at the Lost Generation. The huge man nodded and attached the anti-armour bomb to the doors.

The flash was smaller than she expected but the perfect burning circle it put in the wall was impressive. Haley fired blindly through the hole at leg height. She was rewarded with a startled scream and a pained grunt. Atrox went in first, small calibre rounds form a pistol bouncing off his Semi-Powered Armour, the massive blob of muscle picked up the struggling Traitor on the floor and unceremoniously bashed his brains out on the wall. The woman, lying on her back clutching her stomach, wisely dropped her weapon.

"Haley secure the prisoner." O'Neill barked, if the woman's rank insignia was any indication she had been quite high up in the Navy. "Spyridon with me!" The clone growled as he marched towards the Traitor's command centre. The Agiman stopped his menacing advance on the downed woman and followed obediently.

They breached their target with the smooth grace expected of the H.M.I. The room was empty except for a flickering Hololith and a corpse. Greer snarled and kicked a dent into the wall before moving to secure the entrance. Haley came in a moment later Atrox trailing behind her. All of them simply stared out the Lantean reinforced windows towards the battlefield beyond.

Smoke billowed skyward from the villages, the Flamers making short work of the entrenched Traitors and their rabid militia. O'Neill kicked over the System General ignoring the cauterised mess that was once his face; the man's Las pistol was stuck in a death grip that had melted the far wall to slag. Fires stretched the entire skyline and lava filled craters dotted the landscape. For a moment O'Neill was reminded of the darkest days of the Replicon War. A beam of light reached down through the ash clouds and ignited yet another mountain range. The flash turned the room a stark white before the explosion faded into the fiery background. Haley didn't move from the huge window, she could only watch an entire planet burn.

"What was the point of this?" He could hear tears in her voice. But O'Neill didn't have an answer that felt honest.

Three hours later the Kingdom of Pegasus surrendered unconditionally to the Second Imperium of Man while riots about the T-33's 'brutality' swept the three galaxies. The death toll reached into the millions, and the Covenant Insurrection had only just begun.

* * *

The Coalition 'retaliation' fleet blew through the two Crows in a matter of seconds. With only two of their Cruisers floating broken they settled into orbit of their target. The System's fleet scrambled to intercept them but the Traitors sent their Cruisers and Frigates out to meet them. The victorious Admiral prepared to gloat over the 'helpless' world. Then everything began to fall apart.

The main holo-tank activated of its own accord and a pale Xeno regarded him with a mocking smirk. The Admiral's words died on his tongue as an intelligence several million years more advanced borne down on him. "Welcome to Hel." The Vanir growled as if the loss of their orbital defences were irrelevant.

Whatever witty retort the Admiral might have managed was cut short as the Asgard abruptly closed the channel.

Much to the dismay of the Traitors the loss of the Imperial installations was meaningless, for the Asgard had long fortified their planet to hold back the Wraith. Upstart Humans were nothing in comparison. A beam of energy, a golden yellow in colour, leapt through the thick brown clouds of noxious gas and cut a Sageris Cruiser in half. Plasma Lances and Magma Shells pounded down into the murky depths of Hel as the Battleships and Mjolnirs went to work. Only for more beams to lance up into space, raking across Void Shields in devastating displays of power.

A mile underground a Vanir slowly and deliberately moved a single rune stone. Ten thousand clone tanks came to life, their occupants already beginning the long process of re-awakening.

It was time they reminded their Aesir cousins, and the Humans, why they were once feared and worshipped.

* * *

The darkness was theirs. Humans were creatures of the light; they clung desperately to their dying stars. They didn't understand why the meat-puppet prophet liked to bask in darkness so. This Covenant base was buried deep under the crust of an unnamed planet and at its core a summoning array eagerly awaited. The Bronze Lord backhanded an Apostle out of its way, the burning hot armour leaving an impressively detailed scar on the woman's face. The Daemon had little time for the dalliances of Human, so called, 'decorum' and their incessant need to posture. They considered melting through the large Adamantium door, but decided against it. Instead the Bronze Lord turned to the cowering Disciple at its feet, yellow eyes narrowed dangerously before the man fled for his life.

The Cardinal glanced up from the Hololith beside his throne as a Disciple came scurrying up to him. Before the cowering man could speak a powerful voice boomed from the doorway. "The Imperial counter-attack has begun." The Cardinal easily found the twin pools of putrid yellow before the bronze cloak became visible. "The Kingdom has already fallen." The Daemon continued, stalking into the faint light cast by the burning torches on the walls.

"It was anticipated. The Circle is almost complete. Until then we must spur them into an even greater rage." The Cardinal said with a shrug, unnatural eyes narrowed in glee. "Such a hard, hard struggle. So much death and misery. And for what? Four corpse filled worlds. To think, the real battle has yet to come. Yes, I think these pyrrhic victories shall serve nicely." He dismissed the Daemon with a wave of his hand and a callous laugh.

The Bronze Lord grunted in response, the sound echoing hollowly inside its helmet. "The Reagents are being prepared by some of the, more useful, laghumUlaabhizocana." An armoured hand emerged from the shimmering bronze cloak. The Daemon gestured towards the ceiling. "We will be taking the _Murder __God_." Then it pointed at the Hololith and the Milky Way that spun within it. "Dispatch the _Nightmare__ Child_ and the _Grandeur__ of __Carrion_ to attack the Site of the Glory of the Thunderbolt in Segmentum Tempestus."

The Cardinal snarled at the Daemon. He flexed his might and felt the reassuring waves in the air as gravity bent to his whim. "You forget your place! The Touched and their Space Hulks are mine to command." The Daemon's eyes narrowed at the use of his powers but the Cardinal didn't care. He was first among the worshippers of the Sleeping God; his due was command over all the Covenant's forces.

"We answer only to Him." The Bronze Lord snapped back at the upstart little ball of proteins and fats. "You may be His meat-puppet – for now – but soon He will rise." The Bronze Lord flexed a little of its own psychic might and almost knocked the wind out of the Cardinal. It swept from the room without a backwards glance. "Continue creating more of the Touched. We SHALL take the _Murder__ God_." With a might crack a swirling pink vortex tore a hole in the Adamantium doorway and swallowed the Daemon.

He almost screamed in frustration. His fury was manifested on the unfortunate Disciple still at his side. The air pulsed and the man was send screaming through the air to become a bloody smear on the walls. "One day Daemon, you will lick the filth from my boots." The Cardinal turned from the glowing hole in his doorway to the Hololith. "Begin the Conversion!"

The slaves, all women and children, whimpered as the angry voice thundered across the Vox. But they didn't dare to move less they awaken the horribly mutilated thing sleeping against the far wall. The Touched had skin of bronze plates and a head consisting of three faces each set into different rictuses of pleasure. The Touched jerked awake at the command of its Cardinal, its body making a disturbing moaning noise the metal plates slid across one another. Without a moment's hesitation it waded into the women and children, swinging its Hellblade in lazy arcs lopping off arms and legs, splitting open stomachs and ribcages. Before the huddled slaves knew what was happening a bloody swath had been cut right to the middle of their group.

The Touched hissed in ecstatic joy as it cleaved off its own arm, mingling its own tainted blood with that of its victims. Almost immediately the rivers of crimson began to flow back into the bodies of the dead and dying. The wailing took on a new quality as the fallen returned as the Touched. Screams intensified as the slaves watched their loved ones' bodies mutate and warp before their eyes, while the new Touched clawed and tore symbols of their devotion into their own flesh. The original Touched howled a warcry as a perfect newly formed arm exploded from its bleeding stump. Again the helpless cries intensified.

The screaming was like a beautiful choir to the Cardinal, they soothed his nerves, and it brought him back to the simpler days of his short childhood. He sat gently in his throne as his pristine table was placed in front of him by trembling slave-waiters. They hurriedly set out his meal, each trying desperately to ignore the hole in the door and the blood smeared across the wall. His dagger like teeth tore the meat clean from the bone and he savoured the taste of the kig's blood. Yes, he thought as a trembling slave placed a flagon of wine next to him, Darkness would fall. And he would serve eternal as His Right Hand.


	11. The Other Side of Night

**First of I know. I've been gone a long time. Shit happened. I had six months' worth of work dropped on my head in November by Uni all of it due by Christmas. Then I had to help in an intervention and one of my friends had an emotional melt down. That was fun. Oh and then I almost had my lung re-infected. Again, fun times. During this my flatmates basically threatened to kill each other (luckily we managed to get one of them removed before the police became involved). And now exams.**

**Yeah, all that happened.**

**So here we are, it's been so long since I started this chapter that I've forgotten what the hell I was doing. So you'll have to settle for a half chapter with mostly action and a few sprinkles of plot. Next chapter will have more 'meat' I swear. **

**Sorry.**

* * *

SO58: Yes, yes they do. _Victory needs no explanation, defeat allows none. _

The Benevolent Scriber: Yep. The lack of Psykers is a hindrance but at the same time a boon. The Ascended will be stepping up to maintain the walls of reality most of the time but they're horribly susceptible to being devoured by Daemons. Also it's harder for a Daemon to cross the barriers between Materium and Immaterium without the War in Heaven, which makes the summoning points a major weakness. I hope you'll be pleasantly surprised with just what I'm planning with everyone's favourite Blood God.

Yeah McKay's child is going to be a major point later. Is it wrong to but a child on the front lines? Is she even a child? Can she even get hurt? Can she be controlled? All sorts of wonderfully challenging questions. Even with her expanded perception and abilities for all intents and purposes she'll be born as a blank slate with only her instincts to guide her like most babies. _Smite those that disbelieve, for they have turned from the light and are fallen._

kittybear: Sorry about the delay. _Be strong in your ignorance._

Hammerchuckery: For now. _Cowards die many times, the brave die but once._

HonorGaurd Ra: Yes, Skulls for the Skull Throne. _Guns and warriors are useful, but it is our indomitable will that promises the ultimate victory. _

Pinto: Thank you. I tried to impress upon the reader with Daniel that sometime the dice just come up snake eyes and with Nestor that even though Marines die they go out like heroes.

McKay will come round but he's slipping further and further away from his Humanity. A plan like that was in the work but with the outbreak of the Covenant Insurrection it's a moot point now. The Covenant got to it first and the damage is done.

O'Neill will act but he knows that if it becomes common knowledge that ANOTHER race is trying to off the Imperium there will be panic and bloodshed in the streets. He will honour Daniel by bringing down the people that killed him. At least that's what he believes. Let's just say he'll be taking the Crusade a lot more personally this time. You also have to imagine just what was on those crystals and what parties might be interested in keeping them from the Imperium.

Yes a fully awakened Khorne with a personality does. Right now Khorne is a mass of power that gives personalities and sentience to Daemons that drift too close to it. This Khorne will be different to the one we know from the forty first millennium. The Touched is just the Covenant name for people who have been exposed to the Warp or 'touched by God' their powers are manifestations of Khorne's persona. Such as the ones aboard the _Murder God_, as long as blood is flowing, theirs or their enemy's, they won't die unless they are struck down by a Warp weapon. _Only the Emperor is all._

* * *

**Heresy Through The Wormhole Part 1: This Impure World – The Other Side of Night**

* * *

Death.

It was the only word the Coalition soldier could find to describe this forsaken world. The thick noxious brown air, the jagged broken terrain, the forlorn wrecks of his comrades' vehicles and the never ending roar of Vanir weapons.

Half a Legion dead in the first drop. Another by the days end. The entire Coalition fleet scattered. And it wasn't the Vanir and their terrible weapons, no, people simply died as the acidic air ate through their Armour. Tears leaked down his face as he shot another thrashing friend through the head, if only to spare them the agony of their lungs melting. Worse still Railguns didn't work in the atmosphere. He stifled a hysterical laugh at the thought, over two thirds of their weapons useless and the Vanir hadn't even lifted a finger. Lightning and bolts of plasma briefly illuminated the hellscape, the energy weapons tearing through a Platoon to his left leaving nothing but smouldering meat that quickly began to dissolve. Points of light rose in a huge cloud somewhere to their left, the plasma blasts probably tracking after another Squadron of doomed Landers. Somewhere a Vox boomed another insult in Asgard followed swiftly by a brilliant yellow beam reaching up into space to tear down another Coalition ship. For an instant the death-lights of an entire Coalition Battleship penetrated all the way down to ground level. He deeply wished it hadn't.

The creature hit them full on. It practically melted from the mist and had decapitated his Sergeant with its bare hand before anyone could react. A back hand practically ripped a rifleman in half and with several bounding steps it was upon him. A Las beam hit the thing square in the chest and much to the dismay of the few remaining Coalition soldiers simply dissipated on its armour. With horrifying screech the thing leapt an insane distance tackling two people to the ground. With a display of monstrous strength the thing tore open their Unpowered Armour, flinging aside the two thrashing corpses it lunged towards the dwindling Squad. This time a plasma bolt hit it square in the face.

The headless body swayed for a moment before it toppled over twitching erratically. A faint cheer of survival, not victory only survival, arose among the five survivors. They never saw the stun blasts until they were face down in the dirt.

When he awoke it was to the helpless screams of his Squad mates. Turning his head as much as the unresponsive muscles in his neck allowed he watched, terrified, as a small plasma torch ignited on one of the Vanir's gauntlet. The two Xenos hovered over the collection of four Humans, clipped nonsensical muttering passing between the two. But underneath he could still detect the faint hint of glee in their alien voices.

Suddenly one lunged forward and with methodical precision the Asgard slowly peeled open the closest Human's Armour. A brief exchange of the gibberish these Xenos called language prompted the smaller one to release its captive and kick the floundering body into the fog. He could hear the woman's death rattle as her lungs finally gave out. The bio-suits turned towards him next cutting tool poised to tear open his helmet. He simply stared back at them defiantly, for some reason he felt that they found it highly amusing, and then his eyes melted in their sockets.

* * *

Unit 066 allowed the tainted-Prior to pass without a flicker of its bestial eyes. The Captain of the First Company of the Order of Extermination had long detected the taint that now infected the only remaining Prior's soul. As the only enduring Blessed Paladin to have not been Resurrected in this accursed place it retained a clarity in the Empyrean the others had lost. Unfortunately it and the others had been specifically conditioned to never harm, act against or even question their Prior masters. And the Battle Prior was far too busy trying to reclaim as many Blessed Paladins form the Empyrean as he could to notice the transformation in his far older peer. _Apocalypse Rising _had been limping back towards the 'Ida' galaxy on minimum energy since the battle, hoping to restock, rearm and re-crew from the Order base. The Battle Prior had also mentioned checking on the Supergate that was to transport the Fourth Crusade halfway across the universe.

As always Unit 066 entered into the containment cell only to be met with a veritable miasma of sweat and blood. Again the taint in the Empyrean was stronger than last time and the Blessed Paladin fought to keep from lashing out at the still shifting shadows. It had learnt quite quickly that the whimpering mass of pale flesh and ragged green cloth did not take well to displays of Will. Considering the depravity of the tainted-Prior it could not truly blame her. The Blessed Paladins had not been designed to play Apothecary; that much it had discovered on its third visit to their captive. Accidentally re-breaking a bone while trying to reposition its quarry had hammered home that point.

Subtle burst of Will played across the woman's body reknitting bone and flesh, with the eradication of the Order scum the need to purge her system of infections had ceased but it checked anyway.

And as always a pair of brown eyes cracked open and stared up at the huge white armoured engineered warrior. "**Thank you**." The woman croaked before falling into a peaceful sleep.

Resting on its haunches the Blessed Paladin mulled over its unnatural fascination with the female. On a ship slowly sliding into Darkness the only remaining light Unit 066 could find in the Empyrean burned from the tiny soul of the woman before it. So, as always, it remained to guard her brief moments of peaceful sleep.

* * *

"Ma'am, hostile fleet elements appear scattered across three AU of the inner System. We're detecting almost constant high energy pulse from the surface of Hel itself. Our analysis confirms them as Pattern Blue directed particle weapons." A Colonel rattled off his holographic image gesturing at the main Hololith on the Dreadnought _Shamshir-e Zomorrodnegar_'s Bridge.

The stern faced and aged General that headed Battlefleet Atlantis turned her attention to the imposing figure of the Vanir bio-suit. "Any more surprises?" She snapped, dismissing the Destroyer Colonel with a gesture.

The re-breather mask rattled slightly and faint muttering in Asgard, intentionally too loud, slipped out. "Yes." The Vanir all but purred. "There are approximately three Consumer-type minefields. Here. Here. And here." The armoured finger gestured lazily at the holo-tank, a Machine Spirit quickly plotted approximate positions and blast zones. "I am… unsure just how many… prototypes have been deployed on the surface though." Both Sheppard and the General shivered slightly at the inhuman delight in the Xeno's tone.

The Dreadnought burst from hyperspace surrounded by a halo of firepower. Prow Particle Whips tore open the Battleship that had turned to face it, the beams of green energy flickering down the once mighty ship's length. Plasma Lances seared past the behemoth of a space ship gutting helplessly outnumbered Traitor ships without a hint of mercy. Sheppard's frown deepened when a Cruiser Squadron began systematically picking apart the crippled and helpless ships.

The Coalition fleet returned fire in an orderly fashion blasting apart several Frigates that sacrificed themselves to save the large Battleships. The General smiled grimly as a volley of Drones raced towards the opposing fleet. They were disinclined but it was obvious that their commander lacked experienced in void warfare. Forming a simple two dimensional battle line the Coalition ships advanced on the Imperial spearhead firing everything they had. A wall of fire erupted between the two fleets as Drones and torpedoes collided and energy beam intersected. With a flash several Destroyer Squadrons erupted from hyperspace and flung themselves down Hel's gravity well greatly increasing their speed. The tiny ships passed through the Coalition battle line slipping in-between the tightly packed ships. New stars burst into life for fleeting moments as the Drones and triple Plasma Lance barrages opened up the weakened Coalition ships.

The simple gun line shattered as Imperial Sageris Cruisers punched into it. The specifically designed line-breaking Plasma Lance broadsides scattered the remaining Coalition ships leaving them easy prey for vicious packs of Terran Defenders.

"What a waste." A Tech-priest muttered his red robes a stark contrast to the armour of the Vanir.

"Traitors deserve little better." The General said leaving her fleet to finish the job the _Shamshir-e Zomorrodnegar_ settled over Hel.

"General." Sheppard stepped forward. "I'll take the Atlantis Defence Regiment down to the surface and relieve the Vanir."

"No." The Vanir hissed long strides taking it away from its gaggle of Tech-priests. "That will not be necessary. Land only a small Squad equipped with Semi-Powered Armour to link up with Hel High Command. Anything else will result in far too many friendly deaths." The Vanir purred out the word 'friend' like it was the punch line of a joke. "Leave your Rail weapons behind. They tend to… malfunction on Hel." It added almost as an afterthought.

"Anything else you'd like to add. Or should we just send you down first?" The General growled from her chair. With a flick of her hand the Machine Spirit passed on the Vanir's 'advice' to the appropriate Officers.

"Yes." It growled. "Don't fire at the planet your… simplistic Auspexes are scattered slightly by the ionosphere. Wait until High Command sends you targeting data. That's if you don't want to see how well Asgard weapons stand up to Imperial Void shields." The Vanir drawled pacing back to the large window.

"Understood." One of the Bridge Officers replied tersely.

"One more thing." The Vanir's helmet turned towards Hel, panning slowly over the brown and black clouds. Its voice held only a single emotion, hate. "No prisoners." That was something the Imperials were more than glad to obey.

* * *

Sheppard landed in a crouch, his HUD exploding into life before the white light of transport had faded. Seven blood red reticules erupted, distances and firing solution already calculated, without consciously realising it he pressed the firing stub of the Disruptor. Green bolts flashed away ending one of the unseen targets. By the time the light faded and his world was reduced to brown fog all the hostiles had been eliminated.

"Move out." Sheppard muttered into his Vox. A map showing the way to the Vanir's main base sprang up. A burst of yellow light, which sent his Squad diving into the dirt, illuminated Hel allowing him to see the sheer scale of death evident on the battlefield.

They were walking through the shredded remains of an entire Legion. A detached part of his mind quickly examined the brutality of the fighting. Entire Platoons were slumped in piles were they had been gunned down and gutted vehicles were impaled on rocks or simply split open. The light died down and they returned to nothing more than a murky brown world.

A plasma blast swept over his head taking the H.M.I. demolition expert behind him in the face. The huge man shrieked for a moment before the plasma ball exploded tearing him apart. Lunging into cover he returned fire in the general direction as his Armour's Auspexes desperately swept the fog for targets. Another blast, obviously from a mounted Plasmacannon tore over their heads.

"John! We need to move!" Teyla cried out. This time a missile streaked out and hit the side of an impaled Leman Russ. The wreck exploded as the ammunition cooked off taking the two H.M.I. hiding behind it out.

"Emergency Bea…" Sheppard began to shout into his Vox before it was overwhelmed with static.

"Charge sword." Sheppard and Teyla shared a glance at the strange order hissing from their Voxes but continued to fire at the Traitor's position. "Engage." Sheppard blinked in confusion as his Vox was utterly overwhelmed by the strange command.

The first indication that something was happening was when the fire that was keeping them supressed suddenly dropped off. The second was when a body was sent hurtling through the foggy brown air. Screams echoed through the jagged ravine, sporadic weapons' fire and muffled explosions quickly followed. Then silence claimed the outcropping.

A figure wandered out of the fog dragging a body behind it. Sheppard shivered as it snapped the body's neck with a sharp twist of its wrist and carelessly threw the corpse into the fog. Within moments the figure was amongst them and everyone knew instantly that it wasn't Human. It was too tall for one, towering over all of them, its large muscular arms bare to the deadly atmospheres and little more than trimmed down Flack Armour protecting its torso. A helmet encompassed its entire head except for a long braid of hair, rendered an indeterminate colour by the brown mist, which hung down to its shoulder blades. The Vanir created thing regarded them all slowly the black lenses of its helmet sweeping of the group at a disturbingly slow pace. It drew closer leaning in to stare at the Aquila embossed on one of the H.M.I.'s chest. Sheppard had the distinct impression that it was sniffing them underneath its mask.

Teyla shivered, clutching her weapon close she took several steps backing away from the figure. As suddenly as it had appeared the feeling of 'wrong' that the thing seemed to exude died away. The black eyepieces snapped away from the Aquila it had been examining to focus on her for a moment before it turned and pointed towards a seemingly random cluster of jagged boulders.

The terrain would have been hard if not impossible if it weren't for the enhanced strength the Semi-Powered Armour offered. Their guide simple bounced form rock to rock with unnatural grace and power making the journey seem like a child's play. Just as Sheppard was beginning to entertain shooting the thing it stopped and hissed something in Asgard at a rock. Instantly the boulder dissolved into a flutter of light particles revealing a hatchway.

Glad to be out of the smothering brown mist the small Squad of Humans found themselves in a long narrow tunnel. Their guide clambered in after them carefully typing in a code. Sheppard turned just in time to watch the hologram reappear before the metal doors slammed shut. Without a word the thing surged down the corridor at what most people would consider a fast sprint. They ran for several minutes twisting through a maze of identical corridors until Sheppard was certain they were beyond lost.

He almost slammed into the things back when it suddenly stopped. Blocking their way was some kind of barricade made from metal plates seemingly tore form the walls and welded together.

"What course should we take now?" Teyla whispered at the creature as she drew level with Sheppard.

"Charge sword." Sheppard and Teyla leapt backwards as a blade erupted from the creature's forearm in a swirl of faint light. Without any warning it bounded forward over the makeshift barricade making someone behind it squawk in fear. It ignored the plasma blast that hit it square in the chest and vanished form their sight. A head flew over the barricade and by the time Sheppard reached it three Traitors were already down, basically bisected, and their strange guide was charging the remaining three.

A blue beam of Las clipped the things shoulder practically removing its arm while the other two struggled with their Railrifles. A backhand sent the Las-gunner spinning through the air, a frantic scream echoing followed by the dull sound of flesh impacting metal at speed was all that served as the Traitors epitaph. The thing's blade flashed into existence on its other arm and flew through the air faster than the Human eye could follow. One of the remaining two Traitors collapsed almost neatly folded in half. It grabbed the remaining Traitor by the neck, the blade protruding from its forearm dissolving into particles of light, and much to Sheppard's disgust the arm hanging by a few strands of muscle began to reattach.

"Good work, we need a prisoner." Sheppard nodded at the thing while he helped his Squad over the barricade.

He received nothing but a startled shriek from the Coalition soldier. Whipping around he watched in horror as the thing reared back its fist, the arm now fully attached once more, and tore off the woman's armour, the other hand impacted the woman's exposed chest in a horrifyingly familiar way. Within moments the skin began to pale and sag, wrinkles followed quickly after. He shot the thing through the head just in time to witness the woman's skin turn black. The two bodies collapsed in a pile.

"Was that…" Sheppard whimpered.

"Yes." Teyla cut him off curtly.

"So then…" One of the remaining H.M.I. moaned.

"Yes." Teyla replied sharply.

"And we…" The last H.M.I. whined.

"Calm yourselves! But this is most worrying." The Athosian woman growled. Quickly the three men composed themselves, even if that involved edging away from the dead bodies. "John we must find one of these Vanir soon. I have a bad feeling about this." Teyla hissed. Sheppard nodded, albeit reluctantly, and led them deeper into the cavernous Vanir base.

The roar of gunfire and an explosion tore through the half-lit hallway. Sheppard ran forwards, away from where the noise was coming from, a moment later his entire Squad was hot on his heels. The hallways twisted like an insane labyrinth, vast dark rooms and empty hallways spread in every direction. Sheppard idly wondered if the Vanir hadn't hollowed out the entire planet.

They burst onto a walkway overlooking what could only be described as a Vanir motor pool. To one side was a sleek black Vanir Gunship with a gaping hole melted in its side. Scattered around the large hall were several large crates and a wrecked Windraker Battletank was crashed into a wall. A hole had been blasted through a pair of Adamantium doors on their left and another pair covered in craters were on their left. A Platoons worth of Coalition soldiers were holed up in a makeshift foxhole made out of crates. Three bodies in bio-suits were lying around the hall; Sheppard paused to regard the dead Asgard. He'd heard rumours that Vanir had bombs built into their bio-suits. A sharp bark of Asgard burst from some hidden Vox and he flinched at the horrible sound. On the very rare occasions that an Asgard expressed anger their voices somehow sounded like nails on a chalkboard.

The doors on their right slid open without a sound and something moved in the darkness within. "Back." Sheppard hissed, his Terrorsights bursting to life to show him the horror within.

It was reptilian, a large spade shaped head covered with thick plates of what looked like metal and chitin blended together, a thin sinuous body similar armoured along its back and shoulders, long powerful looking limbs tipped with vicious claws, a long thin tail whipped behind the creature but Sheppard was distracted by the sheer amount of power coursing through the thing's bountiful collection of bionics.

With a screech that almost left him deaf in one ear the thing leapt forward disturbingly fast. A twin claw strike on the Coalition foxhole sent the large crates flying along with two bodies. The rest scattered desperately flinging themselves behind new cover. The majority of the Platoon got behind a line of crates but several were caught out in the open when the thing zipped forward again. Its tail surged over its head, striking like a whip, shattering the bodies of the three unfortunate souls it caught. The remaining Traitors turned and fired desperately at the creature's head, the Squads behind the crates opened up as well.

The creature reared back its head, Las blasts rolling of a skin tight wall of energy, with another ear splitting screech a wave of plasma spilt from its mouth. The neon green energised particles washed over the Coalition Squad like fire, vaporising most of them almost instantaneously. Whipping round to face the remaining Traitors the creature hissed as armour plates on its shoulders snapped back to reveal the flickering barrels of Disrupters. Green pulses of Gauss tore through the cover of the terrified Traitors cowering behind it. Within moment the torrent of green light stopped and the entire Coalition Platoon was little more than smouldering remains.

Sheppard swallowed in his very dry mouth as the creature began to circle the hall long sniffing the smoke chocked air with increasing vigour.

"Down." The creature froze instantly and curled up into a ball, shivering as if in fear, at the high pitched Asgard voice. "Good Fafnir." The displaced voice mocked. From the door the monstrosity had entered by two Vanir casually strolled into the light.

"You can come out now Humans. We've been expecting you." The taller of the two bio-suited Asgard said, its voice booming in the hall.

"As Imperial Officers we would offer a tour; but you seem to have caught us during a most delicate phase in our experiments." The shorter Vanir offered the Asgard approximation of cordiality slipping through the bio-suit's re-breather. "Don't mind the Nidhogg. It will only attack on command. Ùt!" The Asgard barked making the creature slink, whimpering, into the shadows of the door it had entered by.

Sheppard hesitantly slid out onto the walkway. His desire to interrogate the Vanir over their newest creations was placed on hold until he was as far away from the huge plasma breathing lizard-thing as possible. That and they still had a job to do. "Could you take us to Hel High Command?"

"Of course. We were dispatched to find you once we were sure it was an Imperial fleet in orbit. I hope you did not run into any misfortune on the surface." The larger Asgard said, as agreeably as he had heard any Vanir speak. Or in Human terms: the Xeno had already dismissed anything that had happened to them as unimportant.

Consequently the rather short walk to a Beaming station was carried out in a rather tense silence. A flash of light later and they found themselves in a small alcove of a much nicer and cleaner room. Sheppard recognised the architecture from photographs of the now lost Asgard Empire and he was momentarily stunned to witness a fresh blue sky out some kind of large window. Dismissing it quickly as a hologram he scanned the room looking for any more Vanir. The entire place was deserted.

"You may remove your helmets. This deep into High Command the atmosphere is relatively non-lethal." The shorter Asgard muttered. Somehow even with it back turned to noted Sheppards inquisitive looks. "This is a sub-station Human. You will not be taken to the Prime Assembly. Any information or data you possess or require can be retrieved from here."

"I see. We were dispatched by a Vanir attached to Battlefleet Atlantis to link up with Hell High Command." Teyla said, stepping forward so she was level with Sheppard. The taller Vanir regarded the armoured woman for a moment before dismissing her and returning its attention to Sheppard.

"Of course you were. Give my associate a moment to link to your Armours and we shall establish a secure link to the Imperial Battlefleet." The Asgard said, motioning for the Humans to come further into the room.

"Complete. Is there anything else you require?" The shorter Vanir droned whipping a hand over a large set of small white rune stones making them glow in indecipherable patterns.

Sheppard's Semi-Powered Armour retracted from his face as he geared up for a nice long rant at the Asgard. "Yes actually! What the hell…" Sheppard started before the taller Vanir surged forward and scooped his hand up in its own. Powered suits combated for a moment as their owners struggled with one another.

"Ah, the Sheppard-Human. Our Gentors were most appreciative when we received your genetic sample." The taller Vanir said shaking Sheppard's hand vigorously. The Human act seemed decidedly strange with the Asgard; just adding to the Human's confusion and paranoia.

"I don't remember…" Sheppard began, confusion written all over his face.

"But that is of no consequence. What do you think of our prototypes?" The shorter one cut him off. The Xeno quickly reached a dais and began rearranging rune stones. Moments later a large Hololith came to life in the centre of the room. Six of the armoured Wraith-like figures from earlier marched out from another door at the far side of the command post.

The H.M.I. had their weapons trained on the creatures instantly. "They are the Wraith!" Teyla growled angrier than Sheppard had seen her in a long, long time.

"Not completely…" The taller one began sliding round the Humans, effectively blocking their way back towards the Beaming alcove.

"And you gave them weapons!" Sheppard shouted, allowing his anger to get the better of him. He had never liked the Vanir and this whole foray into the 'Twilight Zone' that was Hel had pushed him over the edge.

"Weapons?" The shorter Vanir seemed actually surprised by his accusation. It stopped its work and turned to face the Humans. "Evolution gave them all the weapons they need, we just... refined them."

"Your ignorance is amazing Human. Do you think us as insufferably careless as yourselves? Hardly. Our creations are beyond devotion; we have programmed it into every cell, beaten it into every thought, taken from them their ability to entwine their minds and removed all traces of free will." The other one hissed before it drew its weapon and casually shot one of the six creatures in the chest. Unlike the Humans none of them even flinched as the large body crumpled to the ground, smouldering hole in its chest. "Explain yourselves."

"We are nothing. Our bodies are dust. Our minds clay. For we are the dead. We are Offscouring." The five creatures intoned in a cold monotone. Their voices distorted by their masks. The two Vanir chuckled dryly.

"Revive." The Vanir commanded holstering its Particle pistol. One of the creatures crouched down and opened some seamless hatch on the downed things chest. With a growl it slammed its hand into to its downed compatriot and as far as Sheppard could tell began to feed on it. Suddenly, and terrifyingly, the thing jerked awake, a pained howl escaping its mouth before it went silent. The creature quickly climbed to its feet, flesh reknitting for all the world to see. Sheppard felt distinctly ill.

"What the hell have you DONE!" One of the H.M.I. Roared, helmet snapping back to reveal his furious visage.

The shorter Vanir snorted, plucking a tablet covered in complex runes it used it to manipulate the Hololith. "The Vanir Humanoid Terror Division. Our ultimate contribution to the war effort. The splendid continuation of the Imperial Servitor designs. You ungrateful primate."

"They are without fear. Without mercy. Without remorse. Without weakness. Immortal, utterly obedient, super-Human, killers." The taller one spoke waving dismissively at a large Hololith displaying the massacre of the Coalition ground forces. These new Vanir horrors were tearing through the isolated pockets of Traitors. With their seemingly invulnerability to the noxious atmosphere they were easily picking apart the tired and demoralised Coalition forces. Combined with the pinpoint strikes form the Battlefleet in orbit the entire Coalition force would be annihilated sometime in the next hour. "I wouldn't act so self-righteous Humans your Emperor was not so different from us when he created his Astartes. We have simply upgraded our base archetype."

"Your, oh so honourable, Supreme Commander was the one who tasked us to provide weapons for the coming wars. He was most ambiguous on the details. We simply took the opportunity to continue our research." The shorter one drawled, rearranging rune stones on his tablet faster than Sheppard could track. "It is no concern of ours that you find the results… distasteful. And Human… you will come to rely on our creations before the end of this Insurrection. One way or another; vindication will be ours." There was an inhuman glee in the Asgards voice and the way the taller one straightened exhaling harshly from its re-breather was unsettling.

Teyla smiled at the two Asgard and promptly slammed the butt of her rifle into the smug Xeno's faceplate. Sheppard levelled his Lasgun at the second. "I think I'll take that tour now."

* * *

Once upon a time there existed a class of ship that stood utterly uncontested in combat. A single vessel that could raze up the most advanced worlds and topple empires. They were the physical manifestation of the power held by the Council of Atlantis. And once they took the battle to the very heart of Wraith Space and were poised for victory until their master's arrogance failed them. She was once known as the _Tria_ before her Lantean crew had been 'removed' by the Federation; now she was the _Perses _– the Destroyer. The mighty vessel was one of the legendary Sethlans Exnihilreme class Lantean Warship.

The Federation operator smiled ruefully to himself as the Chariot span out of control trailing fire form the Drone hole. Such a waste of goods, he mourned as the civilian ship exploded. With the Kingdoms pathetically quick surrender the Federation was closing up shop and moving their biggest asset to greener pastures. With the Coalition's foolhardy attempt to seize Hel and the Covenant's apparent siege, practically all they had left was the UFN. Unfortunately the Free Nations were hyper-paranoid and had blockaded all traffic entering or leaving their space.

"Message from the Council." The voice broke through the haze that interfacing with the Machine Spirit induced. Snapping upright the operator glanced at the female comm Officer. "Best speed to the Rift Nebula. Await further orders."

"The Rift's in the middle of Covenant space, the yotz we going there for?" The operator demanded absent-mindedly shooting down another fleeting Chariot.

"I don't know!" The woman snapped. "Just clean house and let's get out of here." She ordered before sauntering back to her station.

"All gunners activate secondary weapon systems and engage targets of opportunity." The operator barked before he slid back into the ships artificial mind. Moments later small turrets began to spit beams of green energy out into space bisecting the Chariots with ease. Drones pounded down on the planet below eradicating every single life-sign that the impossibly detailed Lantean scanners could detect.

By the time the _Perses_ broke orbit there wasn't a single living thing within a parsec of Tracker. When the Imperial Taskforce eventually arrived they found only a graveyard.

* * *

"I will remember this Human." The Vanir growled. The bio-suit's helmet turned slightly to regard Sheppard. "I have not lived eleven thousand years to be questioned by the likes of you."

"Shut up!" Sheppard barked. The Asgard had done little but complain since he had demanded, at gun point, to be taken to the source of these so called Offscouring.

"Here! I hope this satisfies you timid simian curiosities." The Asgard snapped punching in an unnecessarily long code. A wall of solid Adamantium rolled back to reveal a cage bathed in darkness.

Sheppard swallowed heavily in his suddenly dry mouth.

He could feel it grinning in the gloom. He could feel the sheer euphoric joy pouring off the creature in its cage. An intelligence far older and greater than his own turned its attention on him.

Chains rattled in the shadows and a pair of luminescent eyes opened fully for the first time in years. "I have seen your future…" It hissed in a voice he had hoped never to hear again. "Wraith are never-ending! One day you too will see!" A huge mass of muscle and ragged fabric slammed against the bars. "You will see… John Sheppard!"

* * *

"All ships in realspace. Ship Captains of Major General and higher reporting in. Taskforce on standby." Varas reported spinning round to face Angelus. The Space Marine acknowledge the information with a slight nod and returned to watching the other Imperial Navy ships fall into formation around them.

Boras stalked forward from the doorway he had been standing in. "Remind me why we're stopping here?" The Brother-Captain asked, sweeping the intergalactic void with his eyes.

"This is where the 11th Lantean Taskforce vanished. General O'Neill requested that we take scans on the way to Atlantis." Angelus replied with a smirk at their reversed roles. Normally he was the one to be charging of into battle not Boras; his own patience with the delay was, however, a pleasant surprise to the serf-crew.

"Shouldn't an Asgard science vessel be doing this?" Ishmael mumbled, the idea of outright heresy festering within the Emperor's domain made him almost physically ill.

"With the trouble in Pegasus…" Varas began, drawing the attention of both Brother-Captains and the Chaplain to his smaller form.

"Brother-Captain!" Macillan's sudden fearful scream made even Angelus jump. Before anyone could react the truly ancient Machine Spirit of the _Emperor's Light_ spoke.

"**Emergency Gellar Field activation**." There was a stunned silence on the Bridge of the ancient Battlebarge. The Gellar Field hadn't been activated in nigh on seven years; the proper sacraments for instigation weren't in place.

Varas was on his feet in an instant, barking out orders in the clipped dialect of Gothic the serf-crew used in combat situations. "Sanctify those connections!"

"More unguents! Now!" A desperate voice wailed from down the front of the Bridge.

Angelus was vaguely aware of Vanem's voice coming from a handheld Vox near one of the Servitors. "Catechisms of Initiation on my mark!"

"Where in the Warp is the damned incense!" Baltus's roar of anger followed quickly after. Angelus could see Varas unrolling a faded scroll from the solid gold container that hung beneath a small shrine to the Omnissiah.

"All hands battle stations." Angelus growled into his chair mounted Vox. A quick pang of remorse hit him as he glanced at Nestor's empty seat. They had yet to hear form their Veteran Sergeants; he could only hope that his aged friend was in good health.

"Strike fully, with your heart unclouded, the Rune of Energising." Varas intoned, reaching the end of the scroll he began to carefully roll it back up.

"Omnissiah guide us." Someone muttered as the Void Shields came on line.

"Hymn 552. 0100111101001110…" Gideons calm voice echoed from the Vox as the Generatorium activated all its reactors for the first time in years.

"Warp Jump in progress!" The serf-crewwoman at the Auger station almost screamed the information. Angelus made a note to chastise her lightly for it later. But fear was understandable; no species other than the Tyranids and the remnants of the First Empire themselves had ever exhibited Warp Jump capability.

"Target is translating two hundred thousand kilometres to our port. All hands report battle stations." Varas's cold and controlled voice took hold of the Bridge crew into the battle-hardened veterans Angelus knew them as. "Hostile registers as metallic, mass indeterminate, power output indeterminate, energy pattern unrecorded; designated Black. Silhouette doesn't match any records but, Brother-Captain, this... thing's composition resembled a… a Space Hulk."

"Incoming Vox!" The serf-crewman at the Vox station roared in between hastily chanted prayers.

The image that appeared on the main screen brought the entire Bridge to a standstill. The being that appeared before them was as large as any Astarte but was shrouded in a dull bronze cloak. Atop its head a helmet of bizarre metal allowed only the glowing light of two putrid yellow eyes to be seen. Angelus snarled unconsciously at the thing, his hand drifting to his weapons.

"Brother-Captain…" Ishmael nearly whispered. Angelus glanced over at the Chaplain only to find him desperately worrying at his Rosarius. Around his neck the vial containing the relic of Ossian was burning with an intense red light.

Any need to elaborate was brushed aside when the thing began to speak. "These are the words of the Beast. And He has woken, He is the heart that beats in the darkness, He is the blood that will never cease, and soon He will rise." The creature's yellow eyes narrowed and it held out a hand, a swirling ball of what could only be called dried blood gathering in it.

"Target that abomination and prepare to fire!" Angelus roared, jumping to his feet he drew his Bolt pistol and emptied the clip into the screen. No one questioned him, even as Ishmael surged forward a holy text already in hand. All taint must be destroyed. Only then could Mankind be preserved.

Across the fleet Plasma Lances, Pulse Cannons, Plasma Accelerators, Railguns and Disrupters tracked the Space Hulk. As the _Emperor's Light_ bore down on the twisted construct their Voxes were once again overpowered.

"Such is our Covenant." The Bronze Lord slammed its weapon into the deck of the _Murder God_ denting the metal. It was time for the Covenant to fulfil its purpose and the true Ceremony of Violence to begin. All around it the Touched swarmed and babbled with insane glee, the immensely powerful Daemon answered their broken psychic calls with its Daemonic warcry. "andhatAmisranetRyujate!"

The denizens of the _Murder God _answered with their own screams. "BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD!"


End file.
